3./6.  n 


^  PRINCETON,  N.J.  ty 


Presented   by~T?&\/.  cS".  YAj  C7\r-r  <SYn  cXcT^-W^n 
BX    9211    .P472    P306    1916 


History  of  the  Presbyterian 
Churches  of  Path  Valley 


HISTORY 


OF  THE 


Presbyterian  Churches 

of  Path  Valley 


ADDRESSES  DELIVERED  AT  THE  SESQUI- 
CENTENNIAL  OF  THE  UPPER  AND  LOWER 
PATH  VALLEY  CHURCHES  AND  A  HISTORY 
OF  THESE  CHURCHES  .... 


October    18-20,    1916 


Published  by  Rev.   D.   I.  Camp 
and    Rev.    J.    Warren    Kaufman 


Press  of 

Chambersburg  Repository 

1916 


INTRODUCTION 


This  little  book  is  sent  forth  with  the  prayer  that  it  will 
honor  the  churches  in  whose  behalf  it  was  written  and 
preserve  for  our  posterity  a  memory  ever  pleasant  of  the 
men  who  labored  as  ambassadors  for  God  in  the  Presby- 
terian Churches  of  Path  Valley,  Burnt  Cabins  and  Amber- 
son  Valley. 

It  contains  the  addresses  delivered  at  the  One  Hundred 
Fiftieth  Anniversary  of  the  founding  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  in  these  communities. 

There  also  has  been  gathered  for  future  generations  facts 
relative  to  the  growth  of  Zion  in  our  midst. 

The  compilers  regret  that  these  facts  were  fragmentry 
but  every  known  source  of  information  has  been  explored 
in  order  that  the  history  of  the  churches  might  be  as  com- 
plete  as  possible. 

With  the  hope  that  God  will  bless  these  churches  in 
future  generations  as  He  has  in  the  past  years  and  that  its 
perusal  will  instill  a  deeper  love  for  the  church  of  our 
fathers,  we  now  present  it  unto  you. 

J.   WARREN  KAUFMAN. 
D.    J.   CAMP. 


Upper  Path  Valley  Presbyterian  Church 

Spring  Run,   Pa. 


HISTORY  OF  PATH  VALLEY 


PROGRAM  OF  U.  P.  V.  CHURCH. 

Wednesday,  October  18th. 

Morning — 10  O'Clock 

Music  By  the  Choir 

Scripture  Reading  and  Prayer, 

Rev.  N.  B.  S.  Thomas,  U.  B.  Church. 
Music. 

History  of  the  Church Rev.  D.  I.  Camp. 

Music. 

Address — "What  We  Owe  the  Past," 

Rev.  S.  S.  Wylie,  Middle  Spring. 

Music. 

Benediction   Rev.  J.  M.  Rutherford. 

Afternoon— 2  O'Clock 

Music. 

Scripture  and  Prayer,  Rev.  J.  M.  Rutherford,  Waynesboro. 

Greetings  from  other  Churches — 

Rev.  N.  B.  S.  Thomas U.  B.  Church 

Rev.  James  A.  Gordon,  D.  D.,  Winona  Lake,  Ind. 

Rev.  J.  W.  Kaufman Fannettsburg,  Pa. 

Rev.   L.  C.  Wainwright,  East  Mauch  Chunk,   Pa. 

Greetings  from  relatives  of  earlier  Pastorates — 
Mrs.  S.  C.  Alexander. 
Miss  Anna  Alexander. 
Mrs.  Bell  West  Tennings. 
Mrs.  Erma  Dobbin  Wolff. 

Greetings  from  Presbytery — 

Rev.  Harvey  Klaer,  Moderator. 

Rev.  James  G.  Rose,  D.  D.,  Mercersburg,  Pa. 

Music Junior  Choir 

Greetings  from  Sons  of  the  Church — 

Rev.  T.  J.  Ferguson Silver  Spring,  Pa. 

Rev.  J.  S.  Wolff Towanda.  Pa. 

Rev.  J.  M.  Stewart Timpson,  Texas. 

Music. 
Benediction. 


PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCHES  5 

Evening— 7:30  O'Clock 

Music   By  the  Choir. 

Scripture  and  Prayer Rev.  T.  J.  Ferguson. 

Music   By  the  Choir 

Address — "The  Glory  of  the  Church," 

Rev.  Thomas  Tyack,  D.  D.,  Synod  of  New  Jersey. 

Girls'  Chorus. 

Address — "A  Vision  for  the  Wide-Awake," 

Rev.  George  H.  Bucher,  Pennington,  N.  J. 

Music. 

Benediction   Rev.  Thos.  Ferguson. 


PROGRAM  OF  L,  P.  V.  CHURCH 

Thursday,  October  19th 

1 :30  p.  m.— Music By  Choir 

Reading  of  the  Scriptures,  Rev.  Jas.  A.  Gordon,  D.  D. 

Prayer,  Rev.  Harvey  Klaer. 

2  :00  p.  m. — Address Rev.  J.  Warren  Kaufman, 

Pastor  of  the  Church. 

2:30  p.  m. — Greetings.  .  .  .From  the  Presbytery  of  Carlisle. 
Rev.  Flarvey  Klaer,  Harrisburg, 

Moderator  of  the  Carlisle  Presbytery. 

3:00  p.  m. — Address — 

"Presbvterianism  and  Higher  Education." 

Rev.  E.  U.  Warfield,  D.  D.,  L.  L.  D..  Litt.  D., 
Pres.  Wilson  College,  Chambersburg,  Pa 

Solo,  "Entreat  Me  Not  to  Leave  Thee." — Gounod. 
Mrs.  J.  Warren  Kaufman. 

3  :45  p.  m. — Address — 

Rev.  J.  G.  Rose,  D.  D.,  Mercersburg,  Pa. 

Benediction. 

7  :30  p.  m—  Music By  the  Choir. 

Prof.  C.  B.  Neil,  Director. 


6  HISTORY  OF  PATH  VALLEY 

7:45  p.  m. — History  of  the  Church — 

Rev.  James  A.  Gordon,  D.  D., 

Winona  Lake,  Indiana. 

8:15  p.  m. — "The  Unity  of  Believers." 

Rev.  J.   L.  Yearick,  McConnellsburg,  Pa. 

Friday,  October  20th 

9 :00  a.  m—  Music By  the  Choir 

Scripture  Lesson  and  Prayer,  Rev.  J.  M.  Rutherford. 

9:30  a.  m. — Address — "The  Church  as  1  Knew  It." 
Rev.  S.  S.  Wylie,  Middle  Spring,  Pa. 
Rev.  Thomas  G.  Baxter,  Sunnyburn,  Pa.* 

10:30  a.  m. — Address — 

Rev.  Geo.  H.  Bucher,  Pennington,  N.  J. 

1 :30  p.  m. — Greeting — 

Rev.  D.  I.  Camp,  Upper  Path  Valley  Church. 
Duet — Revs.  Jas.  A.  Gordon  and  J.  M.  Rutherford. 

2:00  p.  m. — Greeting — 

Rev.  J.  Marshall  Rutherford,  Waynesboro,  Pa. 

2:15  p.  m. — Greeting — 

Rev.  Geo.  A.  McAllister,  Chambersburg,  Pa. 

2:30  p.  m. — Address — 

Rev.  L.  C.  Wainwright,  East  Mauch  Chunk,  Pa. 

7:30  p.  m. — Music  and  Popular  Meeting — 

Conducted  by  Rev.  L.  C.  Wainwright. 
Addresses  by  Rev.  Jas.  A.  Gordon 

Prof.   Clarence   Gordon, 

Elders  of  the  Church. 

Closing  remarks — The  Pastor. 

Benediction — Rev.  S.  S.  Wylie. 

*Rev.    T.    G.    Baxter,    a    former   pastor,    could    not    be 
present. 


PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCHES 

REMARKS  BY   REV.  T.  J.   FERGUSON   IN  THE 
U.  P.  V.  CHURCH 


I  am  happy  to  be  here,  and  have  a  part  in  these  exercises. 
We  gather  to-day,  on  this  sacred  spot,  to  recall  that  150 
years  ago,  a  little  company  of  Believers,  strangers  in  a 
strange  land,  strangers  to  one  another,  met  to  worship 
Almighty  God.  And  here,  from  that  day  to  this,  God  has 
been  worshipped  by  a  devout  people,  and  His  truth  has 
been  proclaimed  by  faithful  men. 

One  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago !  Ten  years  before  the 
Declaration  of  Independence!  Yesterday  I  stood  with  a 
friend  looking  over  our  beautiful  valley  with  its  fertile  fields, 
dotted  with  its  comfortable  homes,  and  there  came' to  me 
the  words  of  Our  Saviour:  "Other  men  labored  and  ye  are 
entered  into  their  labors." 

The  valley  was  then  the  virgin  forest ;  the  settlers  were 
few  and  scattered ;  it  was  the  home  and  hunting  ground 
of  the  Indian ;  the  roads  were  the  Indian  paths  that  led 
over  the  mountains  and  through  the  valley.  There  were 
no  churches,  schools,  stores,  mills  or  houses  as  they  appear 
to-day,  only  a  few  "small  log  houses." 

Tn  1756  the  harvest  in  the  Cumberland  Valley  rotted  in 
the  fields,  and  many  of  the  inhabitants  went  to  the  Eastern 
towns  for  safety.  It  was  the  time  of  the  Indian  War  and 
life  was  insecure. 

Ten  years  afterwards  we  find  a  company  of  people  gath- 
ered here  for  the  worship  of  God.  How  forcibly  it  speaks 
of  the  sacrifices  and  courage  of  those  who  laid  the  founda- 
tion of  the  wealth,  comfort  and  privileges  which  we  enjoy 
to-day. 

This  is  to  me  a  place  of  precious  and  sacred  memories. 

The  earliest  recollections  I  have,  of  a  desire  to  be  a  Chris- 
tian, was  in  this  house,  when  I  was  a  small  boy.  It  was 
here  that  later  I  confessed  Jesus  Christ,  as  my  Saviour.  It 
was  here  I  took  my  first  communion.  In  the  old  school- 
house  nearby  I  made  my  first  public  prayer.  It  was  here 
that  I  sat  with  my  now  sainted  dead  and  living  now  widely 
scattered.  Here  I  learned  practical  Christian  unity  from 
my  good  father,  an  elder  in  the  United  Presbyterian  Church, 
who  with  his  family  worshipped  here  two  Sabbaths  out  of 
three.  And  I  am  thankful  to  have  had  my  birth  and  training 
among  the  people  of  this  beautiful  valley ;  a  people  whose 
industry,   intelligence  and   patriotism,   religious  and   moral 


8  HISTORY  OF  PATH  VALLEY 

character  will  compare  favorably  with  any  people  in  this 
broad  land,  and  the  most  potent  influence  for  good,  aside 
from  that  of  our  Godly  homes,  was  and  is  the  church  whose 
anniversary  we  celebrate  to-day. 

This  church  is  honored,  not  only  by  the  work  done  within 
its  bounds,  but  by  the  individuals  and  colonies  that  have 
gone  out  from  her.  Her  representatives  are  found  in  many 
States  in  the  Union  and  in  foreign  lands.  And  several  com- 
panies of  men  and  women  have  gone  out  together  suf- 
ficiently large  to  organize  a  church  in  the  region  to  which 
they  have  gone. 

Rev.  Dr.  McGinley,  in  a  letter  written  in  1852  to  Rev. 
Alfred  Nevin,  says :  "Two  Western  churches  which  are 
now  comparatively  flourishing  never  would  have  been  or- 
ganized had  it  not  been  for  the  number  and  influence  of 
our  people  who  imigrated  thither.  By  removal  to  the  West 
we  lost  in  one  year  thirty-five  members."  A  year  ago  it 
was  my  pleasure  to  visit  among  a  colony  of  Path  Valley 
people  in  North  Dakota,  and  preach  for  them.  The  church 
is  named  Westminster  in  honor  of  Mr.  West,  who  was 
pastor  of  the  Westminster  church,  Harrisburg,  at  the  time 
the  church  was  organized.  So  many  faces  in  the  congrega- 
tion were  familiar  that  I  could  almost  imagine  that  I  was 
in  Path  Valley.  It  was  to  me  a  day  of  rare  pleasure.  One 
of  the  first  things  they  did  when  they  went  there  was  to 
organize  a  church  and  erect  a  church  building,  and  they 
have  directed  things  generally  so  that  the  community  is 
being  moulded  according  to  Path  Valley  ideals  and  in  the 
fear  of  God. 

The  influence  of  this  church,  whose  deeds  we  celebrate, 
can  never  be  known.  She  has  been  a  power  for  good  in 
this  valley,  and  she  has  done  her  full  share  in  sending  out 
those  who  are  helpers  in  other  parts  of  the  Lord's  vineyard. 
I  have  known  intimately  and  well  five  of  the  pastors, 
Messrs.  West,  Alexander,  Dobbin,  Bucher  and  Camp.  I 
united  with  the  church  during  the  pastorate  of  Dr.  West 
and  I  had  for  him  the  highest  regard ;  a  man  of  kindness 
and  love  and  strength  of  purpose,  and  was  greatly  beloved 
by  his  people.  Dr.  Alexander  was  my  pastor  through  my 
school  days;  a  sweet  spirited  man;  an  able  preacher;  a  man 
of  courage  in  opposing  evil,  and  did  much  for  the  valley 
through  his  educational  work.  These  men  were  all  good 
men,  men  of  power,  men  of  whom  the  congregation  could 
well  be  proud,  and  whose  conduct  through  the  week  was  in 
harmony  with  what  they  taught  on  God's  holy  day. 

Macauly  says :  "A  people  which  takes  no  pride  in  the 
noble  achievements  of  remote  ancestors  will  never  achieve 


PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCHES  9 

anything  worthy  to  be  remembered  with  pride  by  remote 
descendants."  The  men  and  women  who  worshipped  here 
in  early  days  were  brave  men  and  women.  There  were 
perils  on  every  side,  and  sacrifices  to  be  made,  but  they 
stood  in  their  lot,  and  served  their  generation  with  fidelity 
and  laid  all  succeeding  generations  under  obligations  to 
them  and  they  are  worthy  of  all  the  honor  we  give  them 
to-day. 

And  as  we  review  with  pleasure  the  past,  we  are  glad 
and  thankful  for  the  present ;  grateful  that  the  passing  years 
have  brought  prosperity  and  blessing  to  this  people,  that 
while  there  has  been  a  constant  outflow  to  other  places, 
there  has  been  an  ingathering  of  souls  devoted  to  the 
service  of  God,  and  the  Old  Church  is  still  large  and  strong. 
We  are  grateful  that  the  truth  that  gave  courage  and 
strength  to  our  fathers  is  the  same  that  is  now  preached  by 
your  beloved  pastor,  who  exalts  the  same  loving  Saviour 
and  points  to  the  same  heavenly  home. 

We  honor  the  church  for  her  fidelity,  and  we  pray  that 
she  may  ever  abide  in  purity  and  power,  and  be  an  increas- 
ing blessing  to  this  valley  and  to  the  world. 

T.  G.  FERGUSON. 


ADDRESS  OF  REV.  S.  S.  WYLIE  IN  U.  P.  V.  CHURCH 

Subject:  "What  we  owe  the  past."  Rev.  Wylie  said  in 
brief: 

I  bring  the  greetings  and  best  wishes  of  the  Middle  Spring 
Church.  Many  of  the  families  of  the  Middle  Spring  Church 
were  formerly  connected  with  Upper  Path  Valley  Church 
and  between  these  two  churches  the  relations  have  always 
been  both  close  and  cordial.  Calls  were  extended  by  each 
church  to  the  pastor  of  the  other,  but  for  wise  reasons  were 
declined. 

The  Bible  constantly  reminds  us  of  the  past.  "Remember 
the  days  of  old,  the  years  of  many  generations."  "Ask  thy 
father  and  he  will  show  thee ;  thine  elders  and  they  will  tell 
thee."  As  a  people  you  are  inheritors  of  the  past.  First, 
in  material  and,  second,  in  spiritual  blessings. 

First — As  the  Jews  of  old  were  given  Palestine,  so  were 
you  this  valley.  Your  fathers  hewed  down  these  primeval 
forests,  carved  out  their  farms,  made  their  roads  over  and 
around  these  mountains,  built  their  loer,  frame,  brick,  stone 


10  HISTORY  OF  PATH  VALLEY 

and  concrete  and  now  well  furnished  homes.  They  harvested 
their  crops  at  first  with  sickle,  later  with  cradle,  then  the  self- 
rake  and  now  with  self-binder.  They  threshed  their  grain  at 
first  with  flail  and  tread  of  the  horse  and  ox,  then  the  little 
bunty,  then  the  tread  horse  power  and  now  the  steam 
thresher,  and  one  day  or  a  little  more  you  accomplish  more 
than  your  fathers  did  in  a  whole  Winter  of  work.  They 
had  to  market  their  grain  at  first  on  pack  horses  and  then 
with  the  ox  or  horse  team,  to  the  distant  markets  of  100 
or  150  miles;  now  such  is  at  your  door.  Oh,  the  severe  and 
exacting  labors  of  your  fathers  in  laying  these  goodly  foun- 
dations for  you  to  build  upon  ! 

Second — The  same  is  true  in  both  intellectual  and  spir- 
itual possessions.  The  log  school  house  and  log  church 
built  side  by  side,  with  the  schoolmaster  and  pastor  living 
beside  them  and  presiding  over  both  ;  then  the  brick  and 
frame  house  and  now  the  splendidly  furnished  schools  and 
churches.  Just  think  of  the  worthy  line  of  eight  pastors  you 
have  enjoyed,  not  one  of  whom  was  a  misfit,  but  educated, 
consecrated  preachers  and  pastors,  down  to  your  present 
worthy  pastor,  Rev.  D.  I.  Camp.  A  long  line  of  worthy 
elders  and  Godly  parentage  lie  back  of  you  whose  prayers 
are  bottled  before  God's  throne. 

Think  well  you  of  the  wealth  and  temporal  blessings  you 
owe  the  past.  To  the  surprise  of  many  this  narrow  valley 
is  now  able  to  sustain  three  National  or  State  banks.  What 
untold  spiritual  wealth  you  inherit.  How  true  to-day  as  in 
the  past  times  of  the  prophets:  "Other  men  labored  and  ye 
have  entered  into  their  labors" — Lessons.  All  these  voices 
coming  down  from  the  past  say :  "Where  much  is  given 
much  will  be  required."  The  parable  of  the  talent  and 
pound  teach  us :  "Occupy  till  I  come."  The  Bible's  quarrel 
with  the  prodigal  is  not  because  he  inherited  much  but 
failed  to  use  it  right.  He  wasted  his  Lord's  goods.  God 
is  a  hard  master,  gathering  where  he  had  not  strewn.  How 
sad  to  think  of  the  possibility  that  because  you  or  your 
children  may  prove  recreant  to  the  great  trust  committed 
to  you  that  Tchabod  may  be  written  on  the  front  of  this 
church. 


A  VISION  FOR  THE  WIDE  AWAKE. 

"When  they  were  fully  awake  they  saw  His  glory."  He 
took  them  into  the  mountain  with  Him  to  show  them  His 
glory,  but  their  eyes  were  heavy  with  sleep  and  much  of  the 
vision  they  missed.  But  ere  the  vision  faded  away  they 
saw  it — the  vision  of  the  glory  of  Christ. 


PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCHES  11 

What  are  the  elements  of  glory  that  enter  into  the  vision 
of  His  glory?  And  what  are  the  conditions  that  we  must 
meet  if  we  would  see  that  vision?  The  vision  of  the  glory 
of  Christ  is  the  vision  of  His  Glory  in  salvation.  "His  glory 
is  great  in  salvation." 

"God  in  the  gospel  of  His  Son 
Makes  His  eternal  counsels  known ; 
Where  love  in  all  its  glory  shines, 
And  truth  is  drawn  in  fairest  lines." 

The  vision  of  the  glory  of  Christ  is  the  vision  of  His 
Glory  in  the  Sanctuary. 

He  inhabits  "The  praises  of  Israel."  "And  in  His  temple 
doth  every  one  speak  of  His  glory." 

The  vision  of  the  glory  of  Christ  is  the  vision  of  His  Glory 
in  His  Saints. 

While  we  may  see  God  in  the  work  of  His  hands,  we  see 
Him  more  clearly  in  the  work  of  His  Spirit.  "The  glory 
which  shall  be  revealed  in  us." 

Now  the  necessary  condition  of  preparation  on  our  part 
that  we  may  behold  this  vision  of  His  glory  is  as  simple  as 
the  vision  itself  is  glorious. 

"When  they  were  fully  awake  they  saw  His  glory."  This 
was  the  secret  of  the  disciples'  failure.  Here  lies  the  peril 
of  our  failure.  Not  fully  awake.  When  we  are  awake  to 
righteousness,  we  shall  see  his  glory.  What  we  need  is 
not  so  much  a  greater  knowledge  of  right,  not, — to  know 
more,  but  a  better  conscience, — to  do  the  things  we  know. 

When  we  are  awake  to  Prayer  we  shall  see  His  glory. 
Prayer  is  the  only  essential  thing.  We  miss  the  vision  of 
His  glory  because  we  do  not  pray. 

When  we  are  awake  to  win  souls  we  shall  see  His  glory. 
Nothing  will  compare  with  a  church  awake  to  win  souls, 
as  a  power  to  show  forth  tne  glory  of  Jesus  Christ. 

How  cunning  Satan  is  to  put  us  to  sleep  !  Better  a  painful 
awakening,  than  the  delightful  dreams  of  an  ever  deepening 
and  deceitful  death.  Oh  for  an  awakened  Church — then  we 
shall  behold  His  glory.  REy_  QEa  R  BUCHER< 


ADDRESS  OF  REV.  DR.  GORDON. 

I  count  it  a  very  great  privilege  to  be  here  to-day,  and 
have  come  from  Indiana  to  join  with  you  in  these  celebra- 
tions. It  is  delightful  to  greet  so  many  old  friends  and  to  see 
this  Church  flourishing  and  carrying  on  nobly  the  great 
work  and  great  traditions  of  its  one  hundred  and  fifty  years. 


12  HISTORY  OF  PATH  VALLEY 

As  a  son  of  Church  in  the  Valley  (both  Upper  and  Lower 
congregations  were  formerly  one  Church),  1  am  glad  to  pay 
tribute  to  the  fathers  and  mothers  of  the  former  days.  I 
cherish  in  my  memory  that  good  man,  Dr.  West,  so  long 
contemporary  with  my  father  in  the  pastorate  of  these 
Churches.  Gentle,  genial,  jovial,  just  and  generous,  he  was 
a  true  shepherd  of  the  sheep,  and  everybody's  friend.  I 
loved  his  visits  at  our  house,  which  was  a  regular  stopping 
place  for  every  passing  minister  in  by  boyhood.  His 
daughter  has  long  been  an  honored  missionary  in  Japan  ;  his 
son,  Robert,  just  my  age,  laid  down  his  life  in  our  Syrian 
College  at  Beirut,  where  not  long  before  his  death  it  was 
our  pleasure  to  visit  him  and  his  family  and  to  see  their 
splendid  work  at  Beirut ;  another  daughter,  present  with  us 
to-day,  is  the  president  of  the  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary 
Society  of  Carlisle  Presbytery. 

I  remember  gratefully  the  next  pastor,  Dr.  Alexander. 
He  also  was  a  friend  of  my  youth,  and  his  eloquent  and 
tender  preaching  more  than  once  deeply  touched  my  heart. 
One  solemn  and  touching  communion  address,  in  par-t 
ticular,  made  a  powerful  and  never-to-be-forgotten  impres- 
sion on  me. 

1  owe  a  great  debt,  also,  to  several  of  my  early  school 
teachers  from  this  part  of  the  Valley,  John  Wolff  and  John 
Shearer  in  particular, — and  hold  them  in  dear  remembrance. 
And  when,  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  I  left  for  college,  it  was  to 
be  associated  with  three  other  young  men  from  Upper  Path 
Valley,  to  make  my  home  with  Dr.  Alexander's  sister  at 
Wooster,  Mrs.  Adams.  My  room-mate  all  through  the  four 
years  of  college  life  was  J.  Calvin  Rice  who  was  several 
years  older  than  1,  and  proved  a  wise  and  true  older  brother 
in  those  critical  years  of  a  boy's  life.  I  realize  to-day,  as  I 
could  not  do  then,  what  a  good  fortune  was  mine  to  have 
in  those  first  years  out  in  the  world  such  excellent  and  de- 
lightful associations.  And  so,  grateful  to  God  for  the 
splendid  past,  I  bid  you  God-speed  for  the  future,  and  have 
confidence,  from  what  I  see  and  hear  to-day,  that  this 
Church  will  go  forward  with  continued  usefulness  and 
honor,  serving  God  here  and  sending  out  fresh  streams  of 
influence  to  make  glad  the  City  of  God. 

JAS.  A.  GORDON. 


PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCHES  13 

THE  GLORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

I  bring  to  the  pastor  of  the  Upper  Path  Valley  Church 
and  to  the  Church  itself  the  hearty  congratulations  of  my 
own  Church  in  New  Jersey,  some  of  the  members  of  the 
West  Jersey  Presbytery  with  which  your  pastor  was  form- 
erly identified  and  also  of  the  Synod  of  New  Jersey.  The 
glory  of  the  Church  is  the  same  as  the  glory  of  the  indi- 
vidual members  of  the  Church.  It  is  the  glory  which  be- 
longs to  Christ  and  which  is  imparted  to  all  true  believers 
in  Him. 

The  glory  of  God  in  the  Old  Testament  was  that  super- 
natural and'  lustrous  light  which  dwelt  between  the  cheru- 
bim, the  symbol  of  the  presence  and  the  self-manifestation 
of  God.  In  the  New  Testament  Christ  is  that  revelation. 
The  human  life  of  Christ — patient,  meek,  limited,  despised, 
rejected,  crucified,  risen,  exalted,  crowned  with  glory  and 
honor.  The  present  glory  is  the  outcome  of  the  earthly 
humiliation. 

The  glory  of  Christ  seen  in  the  early  Christian  was  the 
glory  of  a  mighty  transformation.  "They  were  changed  into 
the  same  image  from  glory  to  glory  as  by  the  Lord  the 
Spirit."  They  were  made  new  creatures  in  Christ.  The  glory 
was  something  more  than  an  external  radiance  or  halo  of 
light  which  the  early  artists  used  to  adorn  the  heads  of  the 
saints.  It  was  not  an  external  brightness  such  as  blazed 
forth  from  the  transfigured  Christ,  but  rather  the  radiance 
of  the  holiness  of  a  sainted  life.  The  Foreign  Mission 
pamphlet,  "Five  Hundred  Thousand,"  gives  us  the  informa- 
tion of  Old  Kin  the  Colporteur,  of  whom  one  heathen  re- 
marked to  another  as  they  watched  him  preaching  in  the 
market  place,  "Look  at  that  man's  face!  I  wonder  what 
made  it  change  so!  He  used  to  be  the  toughest  fighter  and 
hardest  gambler  in  the  market.  Now  look  at  his  peaceful, 
joyful  face,  1  wonder  what  made  him  change  so!"  They 
did  not  know,  but  we  know  that  it  was  the  work  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  in  his  heart.  He  was  made  a  new  man  in  Christ 
and  the  change  showed  itself  in  his  face,  as  well  as  in  his 
conduct. 

It  is  the  glory  of  a  restored  and  a  consummated  harmony 
of  God  and  man.  Those  of  the  same  faith  are  brethren, 
Jesus  is  the  First  and  the  Last  and  the  Living  One.  The 
Church  lives  in  Christ  and  lives  to  Christ  and  lives  for 
Christ.  When  the  Church  is  true  to  her  Lord  He  is  trusted 
absolutely,  obeyed  implicitly  and  served  constantly. 


14  HISTORY  OF  PATH  VALLEY 

"Yea  through  life,  death,  through  sorrow  and  through 
sinning 
He  shall  suffice  me,  for  he  hath  sufficed. 
Christ  is  the  end,  for  Christ  was  the  beginning, 
Christ  the  beginning,  for  the  end  is  Christ." 

In  the  Church  is  seen  the  glory  of  a  consistent  witness- 
bearing.  From  the  moment  of  Christ's  ascension,  all  that 
was  left  upon  earth  of  what  Christ  was,  what  He  said,  and 
what  He  did  was  that  little  company  of  His  followers.  He 
left  not  a  line  of  writing,  nor  was  Christianity  organized. 
The  literature  of  the  Christian  religion  and  its  organized 
forms  began  from  nothing  visible,  but  the  lives  of  the 
apostles.  They  were  the  glory  of  Christ,  and  His  joy.  The 
same  is  true  of  the  Christianity  of  the  present  day.  We 
have  a  wonderful  literature,  excelling  anything  which  was 
ever  before  written  on  any  subject,  in  any  age,  or  any  land. 
In  like  manner  Christianity  has  built  up  an  elaborate,  a 
complicated  and  a  far-reaching  and  a  most  beneficient  or- 
ganization. Her  schools,  colleges,  hospitals,  institutions, 
churches,  and  mission  stations  are  like  points  of  light  and 
centres  of  healing  and  springs  of  joy  the  world  round.  Her 
influence  permeates  great  business  organizations,  and  many 
forms  of  national  life ;  but  the  fairest  thing  upon  earth  is  a 
Christly  life,  a  sainted  character.  In  all  the  round  earth 
there  is  nothing  which  is  so  beautiful  as  holiness  in  man 
or  woman. 

In  the  sight  of  the  risen  Christ,  material  splendors,  and 
even  intellectual  acumen  please  Him  not  as  much  as  the 
piety  of  the  saints.  Those  whom  He  has  redeemed,  who  are 
the  trophies  of  His  grace,  and  the  seals  of  His  cross  and 
passion  on  the  tree,  the  reward  of  His  sufferings  in  Geth- 
semane  and  on  Calvary,  who  have  trusted  Him  for  salvation, 
whose  names  are  written  with  His  in  the  book  of  life,  who 
are  going  on  His  mission  of  mercy  to  mankind,  and  have 
been  baptized  with  His  baptism,  and  who  drink  of  the 
sacramental  cup  and  who  take  the  bread  as  the  symbol  of 
His  broken  body  for  them;  these  are  His  glory,  they  are 
the  gems  in  His  imperial  crown.  To  this  we  are  called, 
and  to  nothing  less  than  this,  that  in  our  lives  day  by  day 
there  may  shine  forth  the  glory  of  witness-bearing  for  our 
Lord,  perhaps  in  the  face  of  coldness,  or  of  cynicism,  or  of 
doubt,  and  we  may  be  assured  that : 

"It  is  glory  enough,  to  have  marched  out  alone,  before 
the  seats  of  the  scornful,  their  fingers  all  pointing  our  way. 
To  have  felt  and  wholly  forgotten  the  branding  iron  of  their 
eyes ;  to  have  stood  up  proud  and  reliant  on  only  our  soul, 
and  go  calmly  'on  with  our  duty ;  it  is  glory  enough." 


PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCHES  15 

Better  that  than  anything  else,  when  we  bear  witness 
for  the  Name  which  is  above  every  name. 

The  Church  has  the  glory  of  a  full  participation  with 
Christ  in  His  relation  to  the  Father,  and  also  in  His  rela- 
tion to  the  future  of  humanity. 

Our  place  in  the  church  is  the  place  of  partners.  The  plan 
of  God  is  our  plan.  Our  names  are  written  in  the  bond. 
We  are  not  employees,  here  to-day  and  gone  to-morrow. 
This  great  organization  we  call  the  Church,  and  you  may 
use  the  word  in  the  restricted,  or  in  the  larger  meaning, 
is  our  Church — Apostles,  martyrs,  confessors,  reformers, 
pastors,  evangelists,  the  rank  and  file  of  the  pious  of  all 
ages  and  lands  constitute  a  great  confederacy.  Countless 
multitudes  of  them  are  triumphant,  and  millions  of  them 
are  in  the  militant  state,  but  we  are  all  partners.  We  are 
the  rear-guard  of  a  glorious  company,  and  the  vanguard 
of  the  redeemed  yet  to  come.  We  are  bound  up  in  the  same 
bundle  of  life.  Our  experiences  are  mutual.  The  victory 
of  the  victorious  is  our  victory,  and  the  shame  and  agony 
of  a  temporary  defeat  is  our  defeat.  Do  any  suffer?  Their 
sufferings  are  mine.     Do  any  rejoice?    Their  joy  thrills  me. 

A  working  man  who  was  standing  on  the  street  opposite 
the  Cologne  Cathedral  was  heard  saying:  "Didn't  we  do  a 
fine  job  over  there?"  What  did  you  do?"  was  asked.  The 
reply  was:  "I  mixed  the  mortar  for  several  years."  The 
tale  was  told  by  the  thoughtless  as  humorous,  but  it  was 
serious  and  beautiful.  That  workman  had  gotten  the  vision 
of  himself  as  a  partner  in  a  plan  that  covered  centuries  of 
grand  toil.  He  was  a  helper  of  God  in  fashioning  His 
temple.  In  reality  he  had  joined  the  company  of  Hiram 
and  Solomon  and  before  them  of  Bezalel  and  Oholiab. 
George  Eliot  gives  us  a  striking  illustration  of  it,  in  her 
tribute  to  Stradivari.  This  immortal  mechanic  had  rever- 
ence for  his  labor.  He  felt  that  whereas  God  gave  men 
skill  to  play ;  God  depended  on  Stradivari  to  furnish  the 
instrument.  He  was  the  partner  of  the  Most  High.  God 
had  chosen  Stradivari  as  a  helper,  hence  he  could  say: 

"God  be  praised,  Antonio  Stradivari  has  an  eye  that 
winces  at  false  work  and  loves  the  true ;  with  hand  and  arm 
that  play  upon  the  tool  as  willingly  as  any  singing  bird 
sets  him  to  sing  his  roundlay,  because  he  likes  to  sing  and 
likes  the  song." 

The  late  General  Clinton  B.  Fiske  became  interested  in 
a  small  boy  without  money  who  wanted  to  earn  a  living  as 
a  shoe-black.  The  General  furnished  him  with  an  outfit 
on  the  condition  that  daily  the  boy  bring  to  the  General 
one-half  of  his  earnings.     The  money  was  accepted  by  the 


16  HISTORY  OF  PATH  VALLEY 

General  for  the  boy's  future  use,  and  the  boy  was  active  in 
soliciting  work,  and  both  to  his  patrons  and  the  other  boys 
Tie  made  much  of  the  partnership  into  which  he  and  the 
General  had  entered.  It  was  good  mainly  for  the  boy,  and 
he  was  proud  of  it,  in  frequently  saying"  "He  and  the  General 
are  partners." 

Carry  a  thought  like  that  into  its  higher  relations,  that 
we  may  be  heartened  and  dignified  in  the  knowledge  that, 
we  are  the  partners  of  such  a  man  as  Paul,  and  such  a 
Saviour  as  Jesus  the  Son  of  God. 

To  the  Church  has  been  given  the  glory  of  Apostleship. 
After  Pentecost  the  followers  of  Christ  did  as  they  were  told 
to  do  with  the  message  which  was  given  through  them  to 
mankind.  They  went  out  with  swift  feet  along  the  great 
roads  of  the  Roman  Empire,  and  told  the  story  of  the  love 
of  God  for  man.  Peter  to  Babylon,  John  Mark  to  Alex- 
andria, Thomas  to  Parthia,  Andrew  to  Scythia,  Bartholo- 
mew to  India ;  and  then  the  private  diffusion  of  Christianity 
was  most  powerful  and  effective.  One  person  told  to  an- 
other where  he  had  found  peace  and  comfort.  One  laborer 
to  another,  one  soldier  to  another,  and  so  the  message  was 
carried  by  the  messengers  until  the  saints  were  in  Caesar's 
household. 

This  moment  in  the  oldest  part  of  the  Catacomb  of  Callis- 
tus,  named  after  St.  Lucina,  may  be  found  the  names  of 
the  members  of  the  gens  Pomponia  from  which  xAtticus, 
Cicero's  friend,  came.     But  that  concerns  the  long  ago. 

You  know  how  it  is  now  in  the  twentieth  century.  The 
messengers  are  still  carrying  the  message — Christ's  mes- 
sage and  yours  and  mine — all  over  this  fair  land,  and  to 
far-off  Point  Barrow,  down  through  torn  and  mis-ruled 
or  non-ruled  Mexico,  along  the  silver  waters  which  now 
connect  the  two  great  oceans,  down  through  South  America 
they  go.  Others  are  speeding  their  way  to  Japan,  Korea, 
China,  the  Philippine  Islands,  to  Siam  and  Laos.  Others 
are  going  to  Africa,  to  Syria,  to  Persia,  and  India.  While 
other  churches  are  in  the  same  blessed  service,  and  we  and 
they  are  vying  with  each  other  in  the  attempt  to  tell  the 
people  of  the  earth  about  their  Saviour  and  ours,  and  more 
and  more  we  see  how  important  it  is  that  men  shall  think 
less  and  less  of  the  human  agency,  and  more  and  more  of 
Him  Whose  name  we  bear,  and  Whose  Spirit  we  have. 

REV.  THOS.  TYACK,  D.  D. 


PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCHES  17 

ADDRESS  OF  DR.  J.  G.  ROSE. 

These  churches  were  founded  150  years  ago.  It  was  then 
also  that  the  struggle  began  which  steadily  conquered  its 
way  over  the  years,  until  to-day  you  feel  a  commendable 
pride  in  your  community  achievements,  spiritual,  educa- 
tional, material.  You  have  entered  into  an  inheritance  that 
was  consecrated  by  the  tears,  the  prayers,  the  sufferings, 
the  deaths,  of  a  heroic  race  of  ancestors.  And  I  am  wonder- 
ing whether  you  appreciate  in  adequate  measure  the  toils, 
privations  and  sufferings  which  they  endured  for  your  sake, 
in  order  that  you  might  enter  into  your  present  rich  in- 
heritance. 

I  am  familiar  with  the  vicissitudes  of  the  church  which, 
for  150  years,  has  been  your  nearest  Presbyterian  neighbor 
on  the  South.  1  am  sure  that  the  churches  of  Mercersburg, 
Upper  Path  Valley  and  Lower  Path  Valley  have  had  a  com- 
mon history  and  shared  alike  the  hardships  of  the  pioneer 
days  on  this  western  frontier. 

Though  your  southern  neighbor  is  older  by  some  28 
years,  years  of  indescribable  anxiety  and  fear  and  privation, 
still  here,  too,  the  scalping  knife  of  the  savage  Indian  was 
in  evidence,  and  the  struggle  in  behalf  of  home  and  church 
was  common  to  the  settlers  of  all  these  communities. 

Since  coming  into  your  midst  as  a  guest  and  participant 
in  these  most  delightful  and  appropriate  celebrations,  I 
have  given  flight  to  my  imagination,  and  looking  down 
through  the  vista  of  past  years,  I  have  transferred  to  the 
pioneer  times  in  Path  Valley  thrilling  scenes  which  I  know 
were  enacted  -within  the  bounds  of  the  congregation  over 
which  I  am  now  pastor.  I  have  read  fragmentary  records 
of  the  Mercersburg  Church  dating  from  about  the  middle 
of  the  eighteenth  century,  and  I  have  read  and  reread  full 
records  dating  from  1769  and  coming  down  to  the  pres- 
ent time.  They  are  the  records  of  incidents  and  events  that 
were  enacted  among  the  people  that  recorded  them.  In  the 
handwriting  of  earnest  men  of  God  they  tell  the  story  of 
primitive  conditions,  of  the  struggles,  privations,  sufferings 
of  men  and  women  and  children  who  lived  and  toiled  and 
died  in  these  valleys,  who  loved  and  suffered  and  wrought 
on  these  homesteads  and  in  the  churches  which  have  given 
place  to  the  commodious  structures  in  which  you  worship. 
And  the  story  is  one  of  rare  heroism,  of  sublime  Christian 
faith,  of  hope  long  deferred,  and  of  the  springing  up  of  a 
rugged  type  of  manhood  and  womanhood  which  challenges 
comparison  with  that  of  pioneer  days  in  any  age  since 
history  began  to  be  written. 


18  HISTORY  OF  PATH  VALLEY 

One  reads  much  between  the  lines  in  scanning  these  old 
records.  A  single  short  entry  sometimes  contains  whole 
pages  of  tragedy.  The  record  of  the  capture  of  a  mother 
and  child  or  the  slaying  of  a  father  in  "the  clearing"  by 
Indians  tells  the  tale  of  a  family  broken  up,  of  a  neighbor- 
hood startled,  and  perchance  of  the  men  of  the  settlement 
organized  and  led  forth  in  pursuit,  perhaps  to  be  ambushed 
and  slain  by  the  stealthy  Red  Men.  Or  it  may  be  a  reference 
to  the  struggles  incident  to  the  keeping  up  of  the  ordinances 
of  worship  in  churches  without  floors  or  windows  or  fires. 
I  fear  we  little  appreciate  what  the  church  meant  to  these 
sturdy  pioneers.  No  sacrifice  was  too  great  for  them  to 
lay  on  the  altar  of  the  church.  These  old  churches  are 
consecrated  by  the  love  and  tears  and  faith  and  prayers  of 
their  founders.  In  our  opulence  we  are  prone  to  complain 
because  the  church  makes  its  demands  upon  us,  but  if  we 
would  stop  to  consider  the  sacrifices  of  the  generations 
gone,  we  would  work  more  cheerfully  to  maintain  the  re- 
ligious institutions  which  our  ancestors  purchased  at  so 
great  a  cost. 

This  backward  look  is  helpful  to  us  on  this  occasion  as 
giving  us  reverence  for  the  memory  of  that  steadfast  race 
out  of  whose  loins  we  ourselves  have  sprung.  It  is  helpful 
as  teaching  us  that  American  civilization  had  its  roots  in 
the  fear  of  God.  Its  starting  point  was  around  his  holy 
altar.  Of  no  other  civilization  can  this  be  affirmed.  The 
deepest  thing  in  our  life  is  our  religion.  It  reminds  us,  too, 
that  nothing  is  worth  while  that  does  not  cost  the  choicest 
efforts  of  the  human  mind  and  heart.  The  founders  paid 
an  awful  price,  but  the  results  are  worth  all,  and  more,  than 
they  cost.  It  is  our  great  good  fortune  that  we  are  sprung 
from  sires  who  counted  not  their  lives  dear,  but  gave  them- 
selves to  the  uttermost  that  their  posterity  might  enjoy  the 
blessings  of  liberty  and  religion.  A  history  and  heritage  of 
faith  and  love  and  sacrifice  like  that  may  well  call  us  back- 
ward and  give  us  sober  thoughts  while  imagination  peoples 
these  old  homesteads  and  meeting-houses  with  the  fathers 
and  mothers  of  the  long  ago,  and  reproduces  the  scenes 
amidst  which  they  moved  when  the  land  was  a  wilderness, 
and  existence  was  maintained  only  by  great  sacrifice  and 
suffering. 

I  would  like  to  speak  of  former  pastors  of  these  churches, 
now  gone  to  their  reward,  whom  I  knew — Dr.  Alexander, 
Dr.  West,  Mr.  Dobbin,  J.  Smith  Gordon — men  of  God,  of 
sound  faith,  of  gentle  spirit,  of  undaunted  courage,  whose 
"works  do  follow  them."  But  this  has  been  beautifully  done 
by  others,  and  time  will  not  permit. 


PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCHES  19 

In  conclusion,  permit  me  to  congratulate  the  membership 
of  these  churches  upon  your  splendid  inheritance.  See  to  it 
that  these  noble  traditions  are  handed  down  to  future  gene- 
rations enriched  by  your  own  watchful,  prayerful,  conse- 
crated service.  To  the  present  pastors  of  these  churches, 
about  whom  so  little  has  been  said  in  these  celebrations,  I 
extend  my  warmest  felicitations  and  bid  you  Godspeed  in 
the  work  to  which  you  have  devoted  the  matured  years  of 
a  fine  Christian  manhood. 


PERSONAL  REMINISCENCES  OF  PEACEFUL 
VALLEY 


We  should  not  forget  the  early  history  when  this  Peaceful 
Valley  was  the  scene  of  Indian  massacres  and  cruel  war- 
fare against  our  forefathers.  But  now  for  a  century  and  a 
half,  only  once,  during  the  Civil  War,  has  its  peace  been 
even  disturbed.  My  boyhood  was  associated  with  the  Old 
White  Church  in  the  Grove,  so  beautifully  described  by 
Mr.  Geo.  W.  Park  in  his  magazine.  There's  a  popular 
Sunday  School  song  which  always  reminds  me  of  it,  with 
a  change  of  one  word,  "brown,"  to  "white :" 

"There's  a  church  in  the  valley  by  the  wildwood. 
No  lovelier  spot  in  the  dale. 
No  place  is  so  dear  to  my  childhood, 
As  the  little  White  Church  in  the  vale." 

There  it  stood  amid  the  oaks  and  nearby  the  big  spring 
where  crystal  fountains  bubbled  through  the  white  sand. 
Alas!  Like  the  "Old  Swimmin'  Hole"  of  my  boyhood,  it  is 
changed.  I  remember  where  the  families  sat  in  the  old 
church  and  the  high  pulpit  from  which  father  preached, 
which  is  in  service  still,  unlike  an  old  Canadian  high  pulpit 
a  classmate  of  mine  once  preached  in  which  was  dry-rotted 
and  broke  when  he  leaned  upon  it,  saying:  "Let  us  pray." 
With  a  leap  lie  cleared  the  falling  timbers  and  landed  on 
his   feet  before   his  astonished   congregation. 

I  should  like  to  pay  grateful  tribute  to  the  Old  Singing 
Master,  Amos  Devor.  I  do  not  know  how  many  years  he 
served   the   community   and   led   the   choir   in   church   with 


20  HISTORY  OF  PATH  VALLEY 

his  beautiful  tenor  voice.  He  was  another  Village  Black- 
smith worthy  to  be  commended  by  some  Longfellow : 

"Thanks,  thanks  to  thee,  my  worthy  friend, 
For  the  lessons  thou  hast  taught." 

When  Uncle  Devor  was  absent  Mr.  Calvin  Wilson  usually 
raised  the  tune  in  my  early  years.  There  was  no  organ,  and 
no  printed  tunes  in  the  hymnals  before  1876.  I  never  heard 
an  anthem  in  the  old  church,  and  sometimes  still  prefer  the 
old  custom.  I  would  much  prefer  congregational  singing 
and  no  anthem  to  a  paid  quartette  which  does  all  the 
singing. 

I  owe  much  to  dear  Uncle  Devor  who  taught  me  the 
rudiments  of  music  in  church  and  singing  school.  Once 
after  we  got  the  Presbyterian  Hymnal,  with  printed  tunes, 
Uncle  Devor  tried  to  sing  a  hymn  which  father  announced: 

"Oft  in  danger,  oft  in  woe, 
Onward  Christian,  onward  go." 

to  a  more  familiar  tune  than  it  was  set  to  in  the  book.  At 
the  end  of  the  second  line  his  tune  failed — it  was  the  wrong 
meter.  Then  Mr.  Wilson  came  to  the  rescue  and  raised  an- 
other tune  from  his  seat  on  the  South  side  of  the  church; 
but  in  spite  of  the  words,  "Onward  Christian,  onward  go," 
the  tune  did  not  fit  and  again  the  singing  landed  in  the 
ditch.  I  was  home  from  college  and  had  learned  to  sing 
by  note,  so  like  a  bold  knight  I  tackled  the  tune  that  was 
printed  in  the  book  and  went  through  two  lines,  but  it  was 
a  solo.  No,  not  so  low  either,  for  I  had  pitched  it  too  high 
and  by  the  fourth  line  it  was  a  scream,  but  I  followed  it 
through  and  for  the  next  stanzas  flattened  it  down.  The 
congregation  in  those  days  did  not  laugh  at  blunders  in 
church. 

The  first  organ  was  purchased  for  the  Sunday  School  in 
the  Fannettsburg  Hall ;  paid  for  in  part  by  a  big  fancy  work 
sale  and  festival,  and  Miss  Carrie  Montgomery  purchased 
the  Mason  &  Hamlin  organ  for  $212  and  was  the  organist 
until  she  moved  away. 

I  could  speak  of  the  Old  Burying  Ground,  where  lies  the 
sacred  dust  of  so  many  of  our  beloved.  It  is  difficult  to 
care  properly  for  it,  and  yet  better  care  and  some  permanent 
organized  effort  should  be  had. 

The  old-time  peaceful  Sunday — it  was  not  a  restraint  nor 
a  trial  to  us,  as  I  recall  it— but  a  day  of  happiness  though 
quiet.  We  had  our  horses  and  cows  to  pasture  and  feed; 
our  drive  or  walk  down  to  the  old  church  in  the  morning; 
Sunday  School   in  the  afternoon,  and  evening  meeting  in 


PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCHES  21 

the  hall  in  town  or  books  and  singing  if  at  home ;  with 
quiet  afternoon  walks — it  may  be  to  Wild  Cat  Hollow. 

I  owe  much  to  my  early  school  teachers,  and  my  earliest 
is  here  to-day.  God  bless  her !  And  I  should  be  glad  to 
pay  tribute  to  such  noble  Sunday  School  teachers  as  Capt. 
John  H.  Walker  and  James  B.  Seibert. 

Much  could  be  said  of  the  old-time  family  physicians  of 
this  valley,  the  earliest  in  my  own  recollection  being  my 
own  grandfather,  Doctor  Montgomery.  These  men  did 
noble  service  under  many  handicaps  as  compared  with  the 
physicians  of  to-day,  and  pastor  and  physician  were  always 
friends  and  welcome  visitors,  "laborers  together  with  God" 
and  for  the  people. 

Time  fails  me  to  speak  of  many  notable  characters  and  in- 
cidents of  my  early  life.  As  I  look  back  now  through  the 
golden  haze  of  October  they  appear  in  a  mellow  and  beau- 
tiful light.  I  see  the  forms  of  kind  neighbors  and  of  boyish 
playmates  and  of  girls  with  rosy  cheeks  and  flashing  eyes 
from  which  came  to  us  the  first  thoughts  of  love. 

I  speak  not  of  father,  Dr.  Wylie  has  spoken  out  of  his 
long  and  close  friendship,  only  to  say  that  he  was  a  thor- 
oughly good  man  and  devoted  father,  and 

If  ever  I  win  a  home  in  heaven ; 

For  whose  sweet  rest  I  humbly  hope,  devoutly 
pray; 
In  the  great  company  of  the  forgiven 

I  shall  be  sure  to  find  the  one  who  showed  to 
me  the  way. 

Of  the  mother  who,  by  the  grace  of  God,  is  with  us  yet, 
whom  her  children  rise  up  and  call  her  blessed,  let  this  be 
said ;  that  she  has  had  a  rare,  and  so  far  as  I  know,  unique 
experience  among  pastor's  wives ;  she  has  always  lived  and 
lives  now  on  the  very  spot  where  she  was  born ;  not  merely 
in  the  same  town,  but  on  the  same  lot. 

And  now,  turning  from  the  past  to  the  future,  it  is  full 
of  promise,  and  I  bid  you  God-speed  and  go  forward — the 
best  is  yet  to  be.  Like  the  boy  who  was  asked  by  the 
stranger:  "Have  you  lived  all  your  life  in  this  town?"  "Not 
yet,  sir,"  said  the  boy.  So  the  past  has  been  great,  and  the 
present  is  good;  but  there  is  more  light  to  break  and  more 
good  to  follow  under  the  blessing  of  God.  Your  ministers 
have  been  men  of  God  without  a  single  exception,  and  may 
God  bless  the  churches  of  this  lovely  valley  for  other  cen- 
turies to  come. 

JAS.  A.  GORDON,  I).  I). 


REV.    WIIiLIAM    A.    WEST,    D.    D. 
1S53-1873. 


REV.   S.   C.   ALEXANDER.   D.   D. 
Pastor  U.   P.   V.   Church,   1S73-1887. 


REV.  THOMAS   DOBBIN 
Pastor  U.  P.  V.   Church,   1888-1900. 


REV.   CEO.   H.  BUCHER 
Pastor  IT.    P.   V.   Church.    1900-1904. 


PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCHES  23 


"THE  CHURCH  AS  I  KNEW  IT" 


ADDRESS  OF  S.  S.  WYLIE  IN  L.  P.  V.  CHURCH 

A  period  of  almost  fifty  years;  first,  in  the  world  at  large, 
and  second,  in  this  church. 

A  great  period  this  in  the  history  of  our  country.  1858 
saw  the  great  conflict  between  the  North  and  South  on 
slavery.  Whether  slavery  shall  extend  North  of  Mason's 
and  Dixon's  lines.  The  great  debate  in  Illinois  between 
Douglass  and  Lincoln.  The  election  in  1860  of  Lincoln  as 
President  of  the  United  States,  and  then  for  over  four  long 
years  followed  the  Civil  War  between  the  North  and  the 
South.  Following  the  war  was  a  period  of  great  material 
advancement  in  agriculture,  railroad  construction,  manu- 
facturing, education  and  educational  institutions,  in  scien- 
tific  discoveries  and  inventions  of  various  kinds. 

A  great  period  of  expansion  of  the  Home  and  Foreign 
Missionary  work  of  our  church  and  other  branches  of  the 
church  also.  The  union  of  the  old  and  new  school 
branches  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  took  place  at  Pitts- 
burgh in  1869 — with  an  enlarged  church  now  of  6,000  min- 
isters, 20,000  elders  and  a  million  and  a  half  of  members. 
The  temperance  question  has  made  great  strides  in  this 
half  century,  from  moral  suasion  to  the  high  plane 
of  State  and  National  prohibition  in  a  number  of  states. 
These  50  years  were  indeed  great  in  the  history  of  our  land 
and  the   world — 

"An  age  on  ages  telling ; 
To  be  living  is  sublime." 

Second — 1858  to  1904  in  the  history  of  Lower  Path  Valley 
Church.  The  greatest  of  the  three  semi-centennials  in  Sab- 
bath Schools,  prayer  meetings,  Endeavor  Societies,  Ladies' 
Home  and  Foreign  Missionary  organizations.  In  these  late 
years  the  Sabbath  School  under  the  leadership  of  Parks, 
Seibert  and  others  has  played  a  most  important  part  in  the 
prosperity  and  enlargement  of  this  Zion.  It  was  during  this 
period  that  the  old  White  Church  in  the  forest,  one  mile 
south  of  this  place,  was  finally  abandoned,  after  much 
thought,  prayer  and  disagreement,  and  a  new,  modern  brick- 
erected  in  this  town,  which  is  much  better  designed  both 
in  location  and  arrangement  to  meet  the  wants  of  a  great 


24  HISTORY  OF  PATH  VALLEY 

and  growing  and  a  God-fearing  people.  It  was  during  this 
half  century  that  the  Christian  womanhood  of  the  church 
came  to  the  front.  In  the  enlarged  social  life  of  this  church, 
in  its  Sabbath  School  and  Endeavor  work,  as  well  as  in  its 
varied  benevolent  and  missionary  operations,  her's  has  been 
a  conspicuous  and  enlarging  place. 

A  long  and  worthy  line  of  elders,  conspicuous  for  their 
piety  and  for  their  firm  adherence  to  the  cardinal  doctrines 
of  the  church,  adorn  its  pages. 

Elders — James  Walker,  James  Cree,  Sr.,  William  Camp- 
bell, James  Cree,  Jr.,  Daniel  Brown,  John  B.  Peterson,  Wil- 
liam Matthias,  John  Cope,  Eli  Montague,  Putman  Doran. 

Trustees — Jamison  Kelly,  John  Welt,  Johnathan  Orr, 
Walker  Cree,  Lazarus  Yetter,  Harry  Foreman,  Harry  Cly- 
mans,  Mr.  Lauthers. 

But  it  is  ever  the  man  who  occupies  the  place  of  pastor 
and  preacher  who  fills  the  highest  position  and  is  most 
intimately  associated  with  the  welfare  of  Zion.  This  was 
the  Rev.  James  Smith  Gordon.  He  came  of  Scotch-Irish 
descent,  born  of  pious  parentage  near  Shady  Grove,  Frank- 
lin County,  Pa.  After  his  preparatory  schooling  graduated 
from  both  Princeton  College  and  Seminary,  taught  school 
for  a  time  and  became  pastor  of  this  Lower  Path  Vallev 
Church  in  1858. 

He  was  a  man  of  mark  in  five  ways. 

First — He   had   excellent   health.      Lie   never   could   have 
done    his    work    and    filled    well    the    place    of   a    laborious 
country  pastor  in  a  rough,  mountainous  district  if  he  had 
not  possessed  God's  greatest  blessing — good  health. 
"Man  and  saint  in  same  corpse." 

Second — He  was  a  man  of  thrift  and  good  management 
in  all  his  temporal  affairs,  though  he  always  received  a 
small  salary.  Consequently  he  always  enjoyed  the  com- 
forts of  life  as  well  as  his  family  and  sent  out  three  worthy 
sons  and  two  daughters  to  bless  and  brighten  this  world, 
well  trained  and  educated. 

Third — He  was  a  manuscript  preacher  all  his  life.  He 
constantly  brought  the  beaten  oil  into  the  sanctuary  of  the 
soul.  He  never  could  have  so  long  held  his  intelligent  con- 
gregation if  he  had  not  written  and  thoroughly  prepared  his 
sermons  and  lectures. 

Fourth — He  was  always  true  to  his  ordination  vows  of 
loyalty  to  the  "Bible"  as  God's  inspired  message  to  men 
and  the  "Confession  of  Faith." 


PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCHES  25 

Fifth — The  one  word  which  described  this  man's  whole 
ministery  was  "Fidelity."  The  ancient  prophet  describes 
the  Messiah,  saying  that  "Faithfulness  was  the  girdle  of 
his  loins."  In  like  manner  was  this  true  of  his  servant. 
In  his  various  pulpit  appointments,  his  many  communion 
seasons,  his  pastoral  sick  and  social  visits,  in  his  funeral 
services  over  the  departed  of  his  flock,  in  his  duties  as 
presbyter  outside  of  his  own  church,  in  all  the  months 
of  that  long  and  laborious  ministery,  one  Scripture  text 
fits  into  that  life,  "Be  thou  faithful  unto  death  and  1  will 
give  thee  a  crown  of  life." 

As  we  stand  over  that  sacred  relic  in  yonder  God's  sacred 
acre  well  may  we  say : 

"Oh !  for  the  death  of  those 
Who  slumber  in  the  Lord. 
Oh!  be  like  their's  my  last  repose; 
Like  their's  my  last  reward." 

"With  us  their  names  shall  live, 
Through  long  succeeding  years; 
Embalmed  within  our  hearts. 
Our  praises  and  our  tears." 


26 


HISTORY  OF  PATH  VALLEY 


Lower  Path  Valley  Presbyterian  Church 
Fannettsburg,  Pa. 


PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCHES  27 

EARLY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  LOWER  PATH 
VALLEY  CHURCH 


A  large  square  frame  building,  painted  white,  with  two 
entrances  from  West  side  towards  the  road,  with  corre- 
sponding aisles,  and  one  entrance  from  the  North  and  one 
from  the  South,  approached  by  large  stone  steps,  a  wide  aisle 
from  North  to  South  entrances.  A  row  of  seats  on  each 
side  on  North  and  South,  up  to  the  wide  aisle,  and  a  double 
row  in  the  middle.  A  square  block  of  seats  in  the  North- 
east and  Southeast  corners.  Two  large  ten-plate  stoves 
connected  with  pipes  to  a  large  drum  overhead,  about  fifteen 
inches  in  diameter  and  fifteen  or  sixteen  feet  long.  My 
father's  seat  was  in  front  of  South  side  of  middle  block.  At  5 
or  6  years  of  age  I  remember  (my  feet  not  reaching  the 
floor),  in  pew  with  perpendicular  back  and  horizontal  seat, 
1  looked  up  at  Mr.  McGinley,  with  his  bandana  handkerchief 
wrapped  about  his  hand,  gently  thumping  the  cushion  of 
the  pulpit,  or  sometimes  caught  by  one  corner  and  flung 
out  like  a  flag.  At  that  early  age  I  remember  hearing  him 
preach  from  the  text,  "Are  there  few  that  be  saved,"  and 
he  said  that  at  least  the  majority  of  the  race  would  be  saved, 
because  the  majority  died  before  reaching  their  seventh  year, 
and  all  who  died  before  reaching  the  period  of  moral  ac- 
countability are  saved.  I  remember  the  winding  stairway 
leading  up  on  either  side  of  the  pulpit,,  which  was  of  dark 
mahogany,  and  the  large  red  curtains  or  hangings  covering 
the  entire  wall  back  of  the  pulpit.  I  remember  once  going 
up  into  the  pulpit,  and  opening  the  Bible,  seeing  the  leaves 
punctured  with  pinholes,  where  Mr.  McGinley  was  accus- 
tomed to  pin  a  small  square  of  paper  with  a  brief  outline  of 
his  sermon.  I  remember  where  James  Withrow  sat  at  the 
end  of  a  seat  in  the  Southeast  corner  block,  and  near  the 
aisle,  which  was  entirely  innocent  of  carpet  or  matting. 

I  remember  the  long  tables,  a  foot  or  so  wide,  with 
benches  which  were  arranged  on  either  side  on  communion 
occasions.  On  these  occasions  there  were  always  two  ser- 
mons, with  an  intermission  between.  I  remember  the  big 
spring  walled  and  fenced  in,  with  the  tin  cups  with  two 
handles,  set  in  a  niche  in  the  wall. 

There  had  been  a  previous  building  of  logs,  and  these 
logs  had  been  used  in  the  building  of  my  father's  barn,  for 
when  riding  the  horses  in  tramping  out  grain  I  used  to 
relieve  the  tedium  somewhat  by  observing  the  Roman  num- 


28 


HISTORY  OF  PATH  VALLEY 


hers  which  had  been  used  to  secure  their  replacement  in 
proper  order.  But  now  even  this  barn  is  gone,  and  only  a 
few  pieces  of  the  logs  are  used  as  supports  in  a  more  modern 
barn. 


D.   O.  SHEARER 
Clerk   of   Session,   U.    P.   V. 


R.    D.    COWAJf 
Clerk   of    Session,    L.    P.   V 


Church 


Church 


]  remember  riding  on  horseback  with  my  father  over  the 
mountain  to  a  communion  service  at  "Cree's  Schoolhouse," 
before  the  church  at  Burnt  Cabins  was  built.  The  tables 
were  out  under  the  trees,  and  Mr.  McGinley  stood  in  the 
door  of  the  schoolhouse  and  preached.  All  this  was  before 
I  was  ten  years  old.  When  a  little  over  fourteen,  I  remem- 
ber, my  sister,  Emma,  and  I  were  received  into  the  mem- 
bership of  the  church.  Mr.  McGinley  came  back  where  we 
were  sitting  and  spoke  to  us  about  it.  He  reported  to  the 
Session,  and  we  were  received.  I  remember  the  catecheticals 
he  used  to  hold  in  the  Carrick  schoolhouse.  We  children 
would  recite  the  Shorter  Catechism,  and  the  older  members 
(or  some  of  them),  had  written  questions  assigned  them  be- 
forehand, for  written  answers.  I  remember  "Uncle"  Billy 
Elliott's  question  at  one  time  was  "Did  Samuel  really  appear 


PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCHES  29 

to  Saul  the  night  before  his  death?"  And  the  answer  was, 
"I  believe  Samuel  really  appeared  to  Saul,  but  the  Witch 
of  Endor  had  nothing  to  do  with  bringing  him  there. 
Neither  Witch,  Pope  nor  Devil  could  bring  him  there." 

Once  when  Mr.  Williams,  the  successor  of  Dr.  McGinley, 
was  preaching  at  the  Carrick  schoolhouse,  and  old  lady  began 
to  manifest  some  Methodistic  enthusiasm.  Whereupon,  Mr. 
Williams  quietly  remarked :  "I  hope  there  will  be  order." 
And  there  was  order. 

JOHN  C.  WILHELM. 


PRESBYTERIANISM  AND  HIGHER  EDUCATION 

Address  of  Doctor  Warfield,  President  of  Wilson  College. 

"The  Presbyterian  Church,"  said  Dr.  Patton  many  years 
ago,  "has  not  been  a  cathedral  building  church.  It  has  been 
a  college  planting  church." 

It  has  been  zealous  not  only  for  education,  but  for  higher 
education. 

Many  people  think  higher  education  is  the  same  as  ad- 
vanced education  and,  therefore,  that  the  medical  school, 
the  law  school,  the  school  of  engineering  and  the  theological 
seminary  are  institutions  of  higher  education. 

But  this  is  quite  incorrect. 

By  higher  education  is  meant  the  cultivation  of  those 
mental  and  moral  and  spiritual  elements  of  man's  nature 
which  constitute  his  real  life,  which  have  to  do  with  the 
living  of  a  life  rather  than  the  earning  of  a  living.  Of 
course  they  come  into  play  in  every  part  of  his  active 
existence,  and  therefore  in  his  business,  occupation  or  pro- 
fession. But  they  contribute  to  the  uprightness  of  character, 
the  general  intelligence,  and  the  kindliness  of  conduct  of  the 
doctor,  lawyer  or  engineer  rather  than  professional  skill. 
To  develop  these  elements  of  character,  so  as  to  make  a 
man  a  good  neighbor  and  a  useful  citizen,  is  no  mean  part 
of  the  great  scheme  of  education,  and  higher  education 
should  do  much  more  than  this.  It  should  enable  men  and 
women  to  understand  the  world  in  which  they  now  live 
and  that  to  which  the  destiny  of  man  surely  leads,  to  love 
their  fellowmen  and,  with  a  yet  nobler  love,  the  God  who 
made  man  to  his  own  image  and  gave  His  son  for  his  re- 
demption. 

But  higher  education  did  not  begin  with  the  college  and 
is  not  confined  to  it. 


30  HISTORY  OF  PATH  VALLEY 

The  New  England  folk  love  to  boast  of  the  influence  ex- 
erted by  the  schoolmaster's  rod  and  the  little  red  school- 
house.  And  they  have  just  reason  for  their  pride.  But  not 
more  than  the  Scotch-Irish  have  for  cherishing  the  memory 
of  the  rule  in  every  pioneer  log  cabin  of  the  mother's  slipper 
and  the  Shorter  Catechism.  The  New  England  pioneer  has 
enjoyed  a  just  fame,  but  it  was  not  equal  in  any  respect  to 
the  catechism  which,  though  compiled  by  Englishmen,  has 
been  most  fruitfully  associated  with  the  Scottish  people. 
The  grotesque  strain  so  characteristically  represented  by  the 
familiar  quotation, 

''Zacheus  he,  climbed  a  tree, 
His  Lord  to  see." 

has  no  counterpart  in  the  serious  grandeur  of  the  catechism 
which  strikes  the  very  highest  note  of  human  thought  and 
feeling  in  the  answer  to  the  first  question : 

"Man's  chief  end  is  to  glorify  God  and  enjoy  Him  for- 
ever." 

It  was  a  serious  business  carried  on  by  the  partnership  of 
slipper  and  catechism,  and  it  was  fruitful  in  many  ways. 

I  recall  one  young  kinsman  being  detected  in  reading  the 
catechism  upside  down  as  it  lay  in  front  of  him  on  his 
mother's  knee.  She  bragged  of  him  as  a  very  prodigy  of  a 
scholar,  and  indeed  he  was,  for  he  had  laboriously  acquired 
the  art  of  reading  upside  down  to  escape  the  far  less  difficult 
task  of  committing  his  lessons  to  memory. 

But  I  also  recall  the  far  different  case  of  another  kinsman, 
a  general  in  the  regular  army,  who  was  asked  by  another 
distinguished  soldier  on  the  street  in  Denver :  "What  is 
the  chief  end  of  man?"  And  when  he  received  the  correct 
answer  said:  "I  knew  by  your  appearance  that  you  were 
an  army  officer  and  a  Presbyterian."  No  mean  compliment 
that !  Does  it  not  recall  that  when  Peter  and  John  were 
brought  before  the  council,  "They  took  knowledge  of  them 
that  they  had  been  with  Jesus?" 

It  was  the  mothers  with  the  vision  who  formed  the  men 
of  love  of  learning  and  of  God.  It  was  these  sons  who 
built  the  academies  and  colleges  which  have  trained  the 
leaders  of  thought  and  action  who  have  made  America  a 
land  of  liberty  and  law. 

This  has  been  the  most  striking  note  in  Presbyterianism 
since  it  was  revived  and  reorganized  by  John  Calvin  and 
his  fellow  reformers. 

The  free  Academy  of  Geneva,  founded  by  Calvin,  cele- 
brated not  long  ago  its  three  hundred  and  fiftieth  birthday. 
It  is  the  very  corner-stone  of  free  public  education.     From 


PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCHES  31 

Geneva  the  ideal  won  its  way  down  the  Rhine,  enriched 
Holland,  was  carried  to  England  and  to  New  Amsterdam 
in  America.  John  Knox,  who  for  some  time  was  co-pastor 
with  Calvin,  ministering  especially  to  the  English  and 
Scotch  "exiles  for  conscience  sake,"  carried  the  ideal  to 
Scotland.  Knox's  plan  for  a  comprehensive  system  of  popu- 
lar education,  from  the  elementary  school  to  the  university, 
is  the  finest  ever  framed.  It  was  to  have  been  endowed  by 
the  State  with  the  wealth  of  the  superceded  Roman  church, 
but  the  greedy  nobles  seized  the  spoils  of  the  monastries  and 
cathedrals  and  the  actual  work  done  for  education  was 
small.  The  impulse,  however,  was  not  lost  and  Scotland's 
free  schools  and  universities  have  had  a  glorious  history  and 
have  done  much  for  American  education. 

My  gratitude  to  Scotland  for  what  I  owe  to  Dr.  McCosh, 
my  Princeton  President,  is  very  great.  How  beautiful  was 
his  noble  face  so  full  of  strength  and  so  marked  by  thought. 
His  sturdy  manhood,  high  philosophical  attainments  and 
kindly  speech  made  him  a  power  in  the  college  life  of  Great 
Britain  and  America. 

History  has  a  long  tale  to  tell  of  Presbyterianism  and 
Higher  Education.  Too  long  for  me  to  quote  from  at 
greater  length  to-day.  Let  me  only  ask  if  we  are  true  to  the 
teaching  of  the  precious  past?  Do  we  make  sacrifices  as 
gladly  as  our  parents  did  for  the  education  of  our  children? 
Do  we  mark  well  the  difference  between  manual  and  mental 
training,  the  living  of  a  life  and  the  earning  of  a  living? 
Do  we  realize  that  our  girls  have  as  good  a  right  to  know 
the  things  that  make  life  rich  and  fruitful  as  their  brothers? 

We  are  living  in  an  age  that  is  not  keeping  faith  with  the 
past.  Many  of  our  spiritual  treasures  are  meanly  traded 
away.  Our  religious  birthright  is  sold  for  a  mess  of  pottage 
of  pleasure. 

Remember  those  who  as  elders  and  ministers  have  served 
this  church,  recall  the  children  they  taught  and  sent  at 
crushing  cost  to  find  a  higher  education  at  Princeton, 
Wilson  and  other  colleges,  and  resolve  that,  God  helping 
you,  the  old  faith  and  the  old  training  shall  not  be  given 
up  in  this  time  of  automobiles  and  picture  shows  for  the 
trifles  and  trinkets  of  a  shallow  life. 


32 


HISTORY  OF  PATH  VALLEY 


REV.   JAS.   A.   GORDON,   D.   D. 


REPORT  OF  ADDRESS  BY  REV.  JAMES  A.  GORDON 

On  this  notable  anniversary  I  bring  you  my  hearty  greet- 
ings. It  was  my  privilege  to  be  here  at  several  celebra- 
tions, the  twenty-fifth  of  my  father's  pastorate  and  again 
the  fortieth ;  but  none  will  be  more  memorable  than  this 
one,  observed  with  so  much  enthusiasm  in  both  branches 
of  the  old  historic  Church  of  the  Valley.  The  fact  that  this 
is  my  own  birthplace  also,  and  that  for  the  first  time  in 
more  than  thirty-five  years  I  am  back  at  my  birthplace  on 
this  day.  lends  additional  interest  to  the  occasion  for  me. 
A  kind  old  lady  who  declared  she  had  not  seen  me  since  the 
war,  during  which  I  was  born,  kept  eyeing  me  very  closely 
and  in  a  few  moments  said :  "Well,  Jimmie,  you  havn't 
changed  much."  Such  unconscious  flattery  is  pleasing.  So 
are  the  cordial  greetings  from  so  many  friends  of  the  past 
and  present  at  these  celebrations. 


PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCHES  33 

A  century  and  a  half  is  a  long  time,  measured  by  the  unit 
■of  the  year.  We  look  back  across  the  boundaries  of  the 
nineteenth  century  and  the  Civil  War,  beyond  the  boundary 
of  the  eighteenth  century  and  the  Revolution,  to  the  close 
of  the  French  and  Indian  War  in  the  Colonies.  Yet  long 
as  it  is,  this  period  is  brief  enough  to  be  spanned  by  two 
human  lives,  and  two  pastorates  of  the  eight  this  church 
has  known  covered  almost  a  hundred  years.  We  are  invited 
tc  glance  backward  and  sight  some  of  the  hilltops  of  this 
history,  which  means  so  much  to  us  all. 

For  unknown  ages  this  sequestered  vale  had  been  the 
home  of  the  deer  and  the  bear  and  other  wild  creatures  of 
the  forest  and  mountain,  and  bands  of  Indians  had  roamed 
the  wilderness.  Doubtless  the  red  man  here  worshipped 
the  Great  Spirit  with  smoking  altars,  for  as  Longfellow  says, 

"Every  human  heart  is  human, 
And  in  even  savage  bosoms. 
There  are  longings,  there  are  strivings, 
For  the  good  they  comprehend  not." 

Now  in  the  Providence  of  God  the  time  had  come  when 
the  silence  of  these  majestic  mountains  and  the  stillness  of 
these  far-off  valleys  was  to  be  broken  by  the  onward  march 
of  the  Anglo-Saxon.  It  was  a  melancholy  march  for  the 
poor  Indian,  but  inevitable  that  barbarism  should  give  way 
to  civilization.  It  has  been  said  that  when  the  Pilgrims 
landed  in  America  they  first  fell  on  their  knees  and  then 
on  the  aborigines.  Pennsylvania  has  a  noble  record  in  her 
early  dealings  with  the  Indians  by  her  Quaker  pioneers; 
but  there  appears  to  have  been  less  wisdom  and  justice 
shown  in  the  later  history  at  some  points,  and  the  Indians 
felt  that  they  were  being  cheated  out  of  their  lands  and 
driven  from  their  hunting  grounds.  A  long  warfare  broke 
out  against  the  white  settlers  who  knew  no  peace  or  safety 
until  after  the  French  and  Indian  War  was  ended.  In  the 
year  1736  the  beautiful  valley  now  known  as  the  Cumber- 
land was  opened  for  settlement,  the  Indians  having  ceded 
to  the  whites  their  lands  west  of  the  Susquehanna  River, 
but  only  as  far  as  the  Kottochtiny  mountains.  The  tide  of 
immigration  rolled  in.  and  soon  swept  even  beyond  the 
crests  of  the  Cumberland  Valley.  Indians  and  traders  pass- 
ing over  the  Tuscarora  had  given  the  name  of  Path  to  this; 
exquisite  little  valley,  as  it  lay  in  their  path  westward.  The 
first  settlers  entered"  the  valley  between  1736  and  1750,  and 
were  of  two  widely  separated  races,  though  one  in  faith 
and  purpose,  Scotch-Irish  and  German.     The  Germans  ar- 


34  HISTORY  OF  PATH  VALLEY 

rived  in  large  numbers  from  the  Palatinate,  and  were  of  the 
same  Reformed  faith  as  the  Scotch-Irish  who  came  mostly 
from  Ulster  in  Ireland. 

There  were  also  a  few  Irish  Catholics  who  came  into  the 
northern  part  of  the  Valley  at  a  very  early  date  and  founded 
Doylesburg.  These  pioneers  were  in  advance  of  any  legal 
right  to  the  lands,  and  braved  the  perils  of  their  undertaking 
in  the  face  of  the  Governors  forbidding  proclamation,  and 
against  the  perils  of  the  wilderness  and  of  the  Indians  whose 
hostility  had  naturally  arisen  against  the  invaders.  In  1750 
by  order  of  Governor  Hamilton  all  settlers  in  Path  Valley 
were  summoned  before  the  magistrates  for  trespass,  and 
the  names  of  sixteen  men  are  given  who  came  and  confessed 
to  the  officers,  and  agreed  voluntarily  to  burn  their  cabins 
and  leave  the  valley  with  their  families.  Eleven  log  cabins 
were  burned,  and  they  retired  to  await  the  legal  opening  of 
the  valley  to  settlement,  which  occurred  four  years  later. 
Possibly  the  burning  of  cabins  in  this  manner  led  to  the 
name  "Burnt  Cabins"  of  the  village  in  Aughwick  Valley. 
Some  of  these  same  families  returned  after  1754,  among 
them  being  Randall  Alexander,  whose  name  and  descendants 
have  continued  in  honor  until  this  day,  rilling  places  of  in- 
fluence in  the  pastorate  and  eldership  and  other  offices  of 
the  church  and  community.  The  settlers  were  largely  of 
the  substantial  Scotch-Irish  and  German  (Reformed)  races, 
which  have  given  to  this  valley  and  the  regions  around 
their  strong  character  for  industry,  thrift,  morality  and 
virtue. 

By  the  treaty  of  Albany,  in  1754,  nearly  all  the  remaining 
portion  of  the  Province  was  ceded  to  the  proprietors  and 
the  way  was  thus  opened  for  the  return  of  those  who  had 
been  forced  to  leave  their  homes  four  years  before.  Owing 
to  misunderstandings  as  to  the  extent  of  lands  included  in 
the  cession  by  the  treaty  of  Albany  intense  and  almost 
universal  dissatisfaction  arose  on  the  part  of  the  Indians 
and  owing  to  this  widespread  dissatisfaction  the  perils  and 
difficulties  of  these  pioneer  settlers  were  greatly  increased. 
Just  about  this  period,  also,  a  new  element  of  strife  and 
discord  appeared.  The  French  were  now  aspiring  to  do- 
minion in  North  America.  They  were  rapidly  extending 
their  domain  at  the  expense  of  the  English  possessions,  and 
they  were  multiplying  forts  and  fortresses  from  the  North- 
ern Lakes  into  the  Valley  of  the  Ohio.  They  used  all  avail- 
able methods,  employed  every  art  and  device  to  win  the 
favor  and  co-operation  of  the  Indians  to  their  cause,  and  to 
alienate  them  from  their  sympathy  and  alliance  with  the 


PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCHES  35 

English.  These  artifices  were  successful  and  the  deep- 
seated  hostility  engendered  thereby  culminated  in  the 
French  and  Indian  War  of  1755. 

For  seven  years  during  which  the  war  continued  the  in- 
habitants of  this  valley  as  well  as  those  of  the  Cumberland 
Valley  suffered  terribly  from  the  incursions  of  the  Indians, 
incited  by  their  French  allies  to  deeds  of  rapine  and  blood- 
shed. These  incursions  and  depredations  continued  even 
after  the  close  of  the  war  which  was  terminated  by  the 
treaty  of  peace  between  the  French  and  English  in  Novem- 
ber, 1762,  for  during  the  years  1763  and  1764  the  Indians 
still  continued  their  hostile  incursions  and  during  these 
years  many  of  their  cruel  and  shocking  crimes  were  com- 
mitted against  the  unfortunate  inhabitants  of  these  valleys. 
With  the  opening  of  the  year  1765  these  incursions  ter- 
minated. 

Thus  were  the  men  who  reared  and  occupied  the  first 
habitations  and  who  cultivated  the  virgin  soil  of  Path  Valley 
inured  to  a  life  of  hardship  and  suffering.  But  they  were 
men  of  courage,  of  manly  vigor,  of  firmness  of  purpose. 
They  were  ready,  if  need  be,  to  repel  the  ruthless  onsets  of 
their  savage  foes,  but  they  were  men  of  deep,  ardent  piety, 
men  of  faith  and  prayer,  men  of  earnest  convictions,  of  ard- 
ent devotion  to  the  cause  of  their  Lord.  Their  seclusion 
from  the  older  and  more  open  settlements  beyond  the  moun- 
tains did  not  preclude  them  from  all  fellowship  and  sym- 
pathy with  their  brethren  of  these  regions  who  enjoyed 
greater  privileges  and  more  frequent  opportunities  for  en- 
gaging in  the  worship  of  the  Lord  and  for  enjoying  the 
public  means  of  grace.  Nurtured  in  the  faith  of  their  pious 
ancestry  they  longed  for  the  privileges  of  the  Sanctuary  and 
took  measures  to  secure  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel  in 
their  midst. 

Whether  Scotch-Irish  or  German  these  sturdy  pioneers  in 
what  was  then  the  far  west, — farther  from  Philadelphia  in 
that  day  than  San  Francisco  is  to-day, — were  Protestants 
and  followers  of  the  great  Reformation  which  had  revolu- 
tionized northern  Europe.  They  were  either  German  Re- 
formed or  Scotch-Irish  Presbyterians,  those  two  kindred 
streams  which  arose  from  the  same  general  source  in 
Europe,  and  have  flowed  peacefully  side  by  side  through 
the  generations  down  through  this  valley.  Indeed  they 
are  so  close  together  in  creed  and  worship  and  polity  that 
it  seems  as  if  like  two  drops  of  water  they  might  at  any 
moment  coalesce  and  be  forever  one.  The  Faith  for  which 
our  forefathers  fought  and  held  so  grimly  is  to  us  the  simple 
evangelical  creed.     We  can  scarcely  appreciate  to-dav  what 


36  HISTORY  OF  PATH  VALLEY 

it  was  to  them  when  every  departure  from  Romanism,  every 
liberty  of  conscience  and  private  judgment,  every  cherished 
principle  of  Protestant  freedom  had  to  be  wrested  by  hard 
struggle,  and  out  of  the  fires  of  fierce  persecutions.     Pres- 
bytenanism  as  we  know  it,  with  its  peculiar  points  and  grim 
angularities  rounded  off  in  these  days  of  peaceful  contro- 
versies   and    bloodless    theological     strife, — is    just    plain 
apostolic  Christianity;  and  so,  in  all  cardinal  features,  are 
Methodism,  Congregationalism  the  Reformed  and  all  other 
evangelical   branches    of   the   one    Holy    Catholic    Church. 
Dr.  J.  L.  Marquis,  Moderator  of  our  General  Assembly,  said 
at  Winona  Lake  last  summer  that  there  was  no  doctrinal 
difference  between  the  Methodist  Churches  and  ours  suf- 
ficient to  keep  us  apart;  in  Canada  the  union  of  Presby- 
terians, Methodists  and  Congregationalists  has  been  agreed 
to  by  large  majorities  in  all  these  churches.     One  of  the 
great  evils  of  our  time  is  the  over-churching  of  towns,  vil- 
lages and  rural  populations.     Not  far  from  my  home  is  a 
town   of   2,500   people    with   thirteen    struggling   churches, 
where  one  would  better  serve  the  needs  of  the  community 
and  honor  the  Lord  who  prayed  that  "they  may  all  be  one." 
In  the  birth  of  our  nation,  by  the  good  Providence  of  God, 
the  founders  of  the  Republic  were  men  and  women  moulded 
largely  by  the  spirit  of  liberty  and  by  the  doctrines  of  the 
open  Bible  set  free  by  the  Reformation  in   Europe.     We 
who  are  the  children  of  these  sturdy  ancestors  could  have 
chosen  no  better.     They  were  well  nourished  in  the  great 
principles  of  religion  and  civil  government  which  radiated 
from  the  little  Republic  of  God  set  up  by  John  Calvin  on 
the  shores  of  the  beautiful  Swiss  lake  Geneva.     Here  came 
the   exiled   Puritans  from   England,   and  John   Knox   from 
Scotland,  and  men  from  all  Europe,  and  saw  here  an  object 
lesson  in  a  government  without  a  king,  and  a  church  without 
a  pope.     The  influence  of  Geneva  told  mightily  upon  the 
nations  and  especially  upon  the  newly  founded  colonies  of 
America.    The  Calvinistic  followers  of  the  great  John  Knox 
in  Scotland  and  the  north  of  Ireland  fought  for  the  Crown 
and  Covenant  of  Christ  in  ther  native  lands  through  weary 
years  of  strife  and  persecution ;  and  when  King  James  pur- 
sued them  with  harsh  injustice  they  flocked  by  the  tens  of 
thousands  to  the  new  land  of  refuge  in  America  and  by  the 
year  1750  it  is  said  that  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  million 
Scotch-Irish  had  settled  in  the  Cumberland  and  other  val- 
leys.   They  were  the  children  of  the  Covenanters  trained  to 
endure  hardships;  they  had  nerves  that  did  not  quiver  and 


PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCHES  37 

consciences  as  true  as  steel.  They  loved  liberty  and  sought 
a  faith's  pure  shrine  afar  from  age-long  tyranny  of  king 
and  pope. 

Without  them,  those  who  had  endured  hardness  and 
persecutions  for  their  principles,  the  independence  of 
America  never  would  have  been  undertaken  or  achieved. 
Only  a  race  advanced  in  intelligence  and  education  and 
trained  to  love  liberty  would  or  could  have  established 
"a  government  of  the  people,  for  the  people  and  by  the 
people." 

'"God  sifted  three  kingdoms  to  find  wheat  for 
His  planting, 
Then  sifted  the  wheat,  the  living  seed  of  the 
nation." 

It  was  said  of  the  Scotch-Irish  race  in  America  that  dur- 
ing the  Revolutionary  War  it  never  produced  a  Tory.  Our 
historians  abundantly  set  forth  its  great  part  in  the  found- 
ing of  the  Republic. 

As  soon  as  there  was  a  permanent  settlement  in  this 
valley,  about  the  middle  of  the  century,  the  first  thought  of 
the  settlers  was  for  their  Church. 


38 


HISTORY  OF  PATH  VALLEY 


45 
o 
u 

45 

o 

To 
> 


0, 


J      c 


PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCHES 


39 


REV.  J.  WARREN   KAUFMAN 

Pastor    L.    P.    V.    and    Burnt    Cabins 

Churches 


HISTORY  OF  THE  UPPER  AND  LOWER 
CHURCHES. 


Their  cabins  constructed,  the  hostile  savage  driven  west- 
ward and  their  newly  acquired  lands  under  partial  cultiva- 
tion the  settlers  began  to  provide  places  for  the  public  wor- 
ship of  God.  For  several  reasons  they  could  not  be  as 
unanimous  in  selecting  a  site  as  they  were  in  the  building 
of  the  forts  at  Springtown  and  at  Dry  Run.  Why  they 
should  have  contended  for  one  central  meeting-house  it  is 
difficult  for  us  to  understand.  Naturally  those  living  far 
up  the  valley  would  desire  a  location  there  and  for  the  same 
reason  the  settlers  lower  down  contended  for  a  site  near 
their  own  humble  abodes.  Committees  from  Presbytery 
could  not  bring  them  to  think  alike  and  finally  to  satisfy 


40  HISTORY  OF   PATH   VALLEY 

both  parties,  recommended  that  two  meeting-houses  be 
erected.  Fortunately  for  the  glory  of  Presbyterianism  his- 
try  has  stamped  their  act  with  its  kindly  approval. 

This  all  happened  about  a  year  before  the  organization  of 
the  church.*  Severl  interested  settlers  met  with  the  Pres- 
bytery of  Donegal  (now  Carlisle)  at  its  Spring  meeting, 
convened  at  Middle  Spring  Church,  April  23,  1766,  to  ask  for 
supplies  and  a  minister  to  examine  their  youth  and  preside 
in  electing  and  installing  elders.  This  pleasant  lot  fell  on 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Cooper,  then  pastor  of  Middlespring.  That 
Presbytery's  supply  fulfilled  the  task  imposed  is  made  a 
matter  of  Presbyterial  Record  at  the  Fall  meeting.  Un- 
fortunately no  date  is  given  of  the  time  of  this  visit  nor  the 
date  of  the  election  of  David  Elder,  John  Holliday,  Rynald 
(Randal)  Alexander  and  Samuel  Mairs  to  the  eldership. 
The  organization  probably  was  effected  sometime  during 
the  Summer  of  1766,  for  Rev.  Cooper  was  not  the  kind  of 
man  to  postpone  important  work  until  the  last  minute. 

Feeble  as  the  organization  must  have  been,  they  continued 
to  be  supplied  by  Presbytery  and  maintained  their  existence. 
Rev.  King,  of  Mercersburg,  and  Rev.  Cooper,  of  Middle- 
spring,  were  frequently  heard  in  the  valley.  There  is  a 
tradition  that  long  before  a  church  building  was  erected 
in  the  lower  part  of  the  congregation,  the  old  log  dwelling 
near  the  site  of  the  Eddie  Walker  home  was  used  for  a 
preaching  place.  Groves  and  barns  and  houses  were  fre- 
quently used  as  preaching  places  in  those  pioneer  days. 

Another  reason  for  the  apparent  delay  of  calling  a  minister 
is  the  fact  that  there  were  very  few  Presbyterian  ministers 
to  be  had.  Even  at  that  remote  day,  in  a  new  land,  where 
everything  must  have  been  inferior  to  the  appointments  of 
the  homes  in  the  mother  country,  our  fathers  demanded  an 
educated  ministry.  Though  he  was  elected  to  labor  in  a 
wilderness  the  examination  for  licensure  and  ordination  of 
the  first  pastor,  Rev.  Samuel  Dougall,  was  as  rigid  as  if 
he  were  called  to  a  strong  church  in  England  or  Ireland. 
This  is  seen  in  the  trial  parts  appointed  by  Presbytery 
which  consisted  of  a  lecture  on  Revelation  2:1-7,  and  a 
Latin  exegesis  on  the  theme,  "An  foedus  gratia  sit  a  foedere 
redemptione  distinctum,"  and  a  popular  sermon  from  Isa. 
45:22,  "Look  unto  me  and  be  ye  saved,  all  the  ends  of  the 
earth,  for  I  am  God,  and  there  is  none  else." 

Thus  though  nine  years  intervened  between  their  organi- 
zation into  a  church  and  the  calling  of  the  first  pastor,  they 
were  by  no  means  years  of  idleness.     In  the  meantime  two 


*See  warrant  of  deed  in  appendix. 


PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCHES  41 

Louses  for  worship  had  been  constructed.  The  Upper 
Church  did  not  follow  the  suggestion  of  Presbytery,  which 
would  have  placed  the  church  near  to  John  Holliday's  which 
is  now  Dry  Run,  but  in  1769  completed  the  building  in 
course  of  construction,  on  the  site  deeded  to  them  by  the 
Penns.  This  was  somewhere  near  the  spring  and  below 
the  present  building,  "at  a  point  now  enclosed  in  the  grave- 
yard." 

The  lower  part  of  the  congregation  finished  their  building 
in  1774  at  the  site  suggested  by  the  committee  as  the  lowest 
point  which  they  should  go.  But  both  of  them  located 
near  by  sparkling  springs  of  water.  This  furnished  refresh- 
ment for  man  and  beast.  The  names  of  some  of  the  old 
churches  suggest  to  us  that  this  was  the  custom  in  those 
days,  viz :  Falling  Spring,  Rocky  Spring,  Middle  Spring, 
Silver  Spring,  Big  Spring.  Both  these  houses  were  rude  log 
structures,  having  neither  floor  nor  ceiling  nor  stoves. 
Evidently  the  Lower  Church  had  the  more  rapid  growth  at 
first.  Dr.  West  referred  to  this  in  his  centennial  address 
and  thinks  the  fact  that  at  that  time  the  building  was 
larger  is  full  proof.  But  in  the  course  of  time  the  Upper 
congregation  became  the  larger.  Of  the  first  pastor  of  the 
Upper  and  Lower  Church,  Rev.  Samuel  Dougal,  we  can 
find  very  little  record.  "He  came  to  the  valley  some  time 
between  June  1772,  when  he  was  licensed  by  the  Presbytery 
of  New  Castle,  and  April,  1774,  when  we  find  the  first  men- 
tion of  his  name  in  connection  with  this  congregation." 

Mr.  Cooper,  of  Middlespring,  Moderated  the  meeting  of 
Presbytery  held  at  Spring  Run,  October  9,  1775,  when  Mr. 
Dougal  was  ordained  and  installed.  Rev.  A.  Thompson 
preached  a  sermon  suitable  to  the  occasion  from  I  Cor.  9:16, 
last  clause :  "Woe  is  unto  me,  if  I  preach  not  the  gospel." 
Rev.  Mr.  Long,  of  Chambersburg,  presided  in  the  installa- 
tion and  gave  the  charge. 

Having  been  inducted  into  office,  he  "applied  himself 
earnestly  and  faithfully  to  the  duties  devolving  on  him.  He 
had  a  mind  for  the  work." 

Rev.  G.  D.  Porter,  late  of  Tipton,  Iowa,  and  a  descendant 
of  this  godly  man,  writes  of  him  as  follows :  "I  have  under- 
stood that  as  settlers  moved  into  the  valley  and  especially 
Germans,  he  would  seek  them  out  and  by  his  familiarity 
and  the  presentation  of  proper  motives  induce  them  to  at- 
tend upon  his  ministry."  Dr.  West,  in  writing  of  this,  said: 
"The  consequence  is,  that  a  large  proportion  of  our  congre- 
gation is  of  German  origin.  I  have  found  this  German  ele- 
ment no  less  substantial,  reliable  and  in  every  way  import- 


42 


HISTORY  OF   PATH   VALLEY 


ant  tnan  the  Scotch-Irish.  And  am  disposed  to  regard  the 
commingling  and  blending  of  the  two  in  the  light  of  a  very- 
happy  marriage. 

In  1779  Mr.  Dougal,  finding  the  valley  churches  suf- 
ficiently strong  to  support  him,  he  resigned  his  charge  over 
the  Upper  Tuscarora  Church.  After  this  year  he  devoted 
all  his  energies  to  the  interests  of  the  Path  Valley  churches. 


REV.    D.    I.    CAMP 

Present    Pastor    of    the    Upper    Path 

Valley  Chureh 


Mr.  Dougal's  salary  at  first  "was  100  pounds,  Pennsyl- 
vania currency  ($266.66),  and  part  of  this  was  paid  in 
wheat."  This  he  exchanged  for  land  warrants  to  get  a 
home.  This  farm  is  now  the  property  of  the  Daniel  Ham- 
mond heirs  and  lies  at  the  opening  out  of  Amberson  Valley 
into  Path  Valley.  His  heirs  owned  this  property  for  many 
years  and  his  son,  who  an  elder  in  the  Upper  Church,  lived 
upon  it.  It  is  commonly  believed  that  this  son  organized 
the  first  Sundav  School  in  the  vallev. 


PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCHES  43 

After  the  relations  with  the  Upper  Tuscarora  Church 
were  dissolved  the  Path  Valley  Church  agreed  to  pay  Mr. 
Dougal  "100  pounds  and  100  bushels  of  wheat,  during  the 
present  circumstances  of  the  times."  Though  this  seems 
to  us  a  meagre  salary  it  was  munificent  for  those  days,  per- 
haps having  greater  purchasing  value  than  the  salary  of 
any  of  his  successors. 

Rev.  Dougal  was  a  Scotch-Irishman,  who  came  to  this 
country  early  in  life.  His  education  was  secured  in  America, 
and  no  references  were  found  relative  to  his  ancestry,  except 
that  he  was  born  in  Ireland.  His  wife  was  a  Miss  Wilson, 
of  Dauphin  County,  Pennsylvania,  by  whom  he  was  the 
father  of  eight  children,  four  sons  and  four  daughters.  His 
eldest  son,  James  Dougal,  who  was  an  elder  in  the  Upper 
Church,  lived  to  the  advanced  age  of  85  years  and  died  on 
the  25th  of  August,  1860. 

Rev.  Dougal  was  a  man  of  the  people,  plain  and  simple  in 
his  style  of  preaching.  He  endured  with  his  people  the 
dangers  and  hardships  of  those  days  and  seemed  to  prefer 
the  frontier  to  a  settlement  in  a  less  remote  place.  His 
humble  cabin  was  attacked  by  Indians  and  once  he  with 
his  people  had  to  flee  for  safety  to  the  government  fort. 
But  he  laid  for  us  a  good  foundation  in  things  spiritual  and 
ecclesiastical.  "A  severe  cold  settling  on  his  lungs  ter- 
minated his  earthly  life  and  labors  on  October  4,  1790, 
when  he  seemed  to  be  in  the  prime  of  life."  For  fifteen 
years  he  was  your  pastor,  taking  up  the  work  in  the  most 
crucial  time  of  the  church's  existence.  Following  his  death 
the  pulpit  was  vacant  for  over  two  years,  save  as  Presbytery 
sent  an  occasional  supply  to  preach  and  administer  com- 
munion.   Then  the  congregations  called  Rev.  David  Denny. 


44 


HISTORY  OF   PATH   VALLEY 


REV.   DAVID   DENNY 

Second     Pastor    of    Path    Valley 

Presbyterian     Churches 

1794-1S00 


David  Denny. 

(Second  Pastor.) 

In  the  year  1745  Mr.  Walker  Denny  settled  in  Cumber- 
land County,  near  to  what  is  now  Carlisle.  Here  he  resided 
until  after  the  Revolution,  when  he  raised  a  company  and 
marched  for  the  defence  of  his  liberties.  Like  many  an- 
other he  sacrificed  his  life  at  the  Battle  of  Crooked  Billet 
and  his  eldest  son  was  captured.  His  third  son,  David 
Denny,  was  born  in  1767,  pursued  his  college  studies  under 
Dr.  Nesbit,  of  Dickinson  College.  After  graduation  he 
studied  theology  with  the  same  instructor,  always  maintain- 
ing a  great  veneration  and  respect  for  this  able  educational 
leader. 

The  Presbytery  of  Carlisle  licensed  him  October  6th,  1791, 
and  the  Churches  of  Path  Valley,  which  had  been  vacant  for 
two  years,  called  him  as  pastor  April  10,  1793.  He  was 
not,  however,  ordained  and  installed  as  pastor  until  April 
9,  1794.  The  ordination  and  installation  took  place  in 
Carlisle  at  a  meeting  of  Presbytery  and  not  as  is  usually  the 
case  at  present,  in  the  church  which  presents  the  call.  Com- 
missioners were  present  from  the  congregation;  these  were 
charged  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Craighead,  of  Rocky  Spring,  who 


PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCHES 


45 


presided,  and  Rev.  Mr.  Paxton,  of  Lower  Marsh  Creek, 
preached  the  sermon,  his  text  being  John  21 :16,  last  clause, 
"Feed  mv  sheep." 

Before  coming-  to  the  valley  Mr.  Denny  had  married  Miss 
Margaret  Lyon,  daughter  of  Mr.  Wm.  Lyon,  of  Carlisle. 
She  is  spoken  of  as  "a  lady  of  rare  worth  and  attractions, 
whose  cheerful,  Christian  spirit,  no  doubt,  did  much  to  en- 
courage her  husband  under  the  trials  and  labors  of  his 
office."    To  them  were  born  seven  sons  and  four  daughters. 

In  October,  1800,  after  six  years  of  faithful  service  amidst 
a  people  who  appreciated  his  labors,  he  asked  for  a  dis- 
solution of  the  pastoral  relations  in  order  that  he  might 
accept  the  call  of  the  Chambersburg  Church  (Falling 
Spring).  His  reason  for  doing  so  was  the  inadequate 
salary  and  poor  educational  advantages  for  his  children. 
But  even  after  the  dissolution  of  pastoral  relations  he  was 
very  cordial  to  his  former  parishioners  and  they  in  turn 
had  him  take  part  in  the  installation  of  his  successor. 

In  Presbytery's  "Book  of  Obituaries,"  we  find  the  follow- 
ing concerning  Rev.  Denny:  His  person  cast  in  the  finest 
mould  for  strength,  activity  and  proportion  was  well  adapted 
to  the  air  of  dignity  which  nature  herself  had  impressed 
upon  it.  His  mind  was  of  a  strong  and  discerning  order — 
always  governed  by  candor  and  sincerity  and  warmed  by 
the  love  of  truth.  His  views  were  expressed  in  the  language 
of  simplicity  and  earnestness — neither  adorned  nor  obscured 
by  the  garnish  of  imagery  or  the  flashes  of  rhetoric. 


OLD   STONE   CHURCH 

Spring    Run,    Pa. 


46  HISTORY   OF   PATH   VALLEY 

On  the  17th  of  January,  1838,  Mrs.  Denny  died  and  this 
sorrow,  with  the  increasing  infirmities  of  age,  led  him  to 
resign  his  charge.  For  many  years  he  had  supplemented 
his  salary  by  teaching  Latin  and  Greek  in  the  Chambers- 
burg  Academy.  This  added  burden  would  seem  to  have 
divided  his  interest,  but  we  are  told  that  he  had  the  high 
respect  and  veneration  of  his  people  among  whom  he 
labored  for  thirty-seven  years. 

He  died  December  16,  1845,  just  seven  years  after  his 
faithful  companion  had  passed  away.  Over  his  remains  in 
the  beautiful  and  historic  Falling  Spring  Cemetery,  of 
Chambersburg,  loving  friends  and  members  have  erected 
a  monument  on  which  is  the  following  inscription : 

In  memory  of  the 

REV.  DAVID  DENNY, 

who  died  16th  Dec.  1845,  aged  78  yrs. ; 

Having  been  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  Church 

of  Chambersburg 

from  1801-1838, 

when  he  resigned  his  pastoral  charge 

from  the  infirmities  of  age, 

respected  and  revered. 

As  a  tribute  of  affection  and  regard  this  monument 

is  erected  by  members  of  the  church  and 

other  sorrowing  friends. 

During  Mr.  Denny's  pastorate  the  second  church  build- 
ing in  the  lower  part  of  the  congregation  was  built.  Their 
first  structure  was  of  log,  about  twenty-four  feet  square 
and  covered  with  clap-board  shingles.  This  was  built  in 
1770.  The  second  structure  was  about  forty  feet  square, 
built  of  logs,  but  lined  inside,  walls  and  ceiling,  with  boards 
and  was  completed  in  1794. 

After  Mr.  Denny's  departure  the  church  was  without 
stated  means  of  grace  for  a  period  of  two  years.  Then  in 
the  Fall  of  1802,  Mr.  Amos  McGinley  was  called  to  become 
pastor  of  the  united  congregations.  He  signified  his  accept- 
ance and  entered  upon  his  work. 


PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCHES  47 


REV.    A.    A.    McGINLEY 

Third    Pastor    of    Path    Valley 

Presbyterian    Churches 

1S02-1S51 


The   Third   Pastor,   Rev.   A.   A.   McGinley. 

Mr.  McGinley  was  born  near  Fairfield,  Adams  County, 
Pa.,  March  1778,  of  John  McGinley  and  Jane  (Alexander) 
McGinley.  His  grandfather  emigrated  from  Ireland  and 
with  four  others  purchased  "Carroll's  Tract,"  which  was 
entered  on  the  records  as  being  in  York  County — now 
Adams.  His  grandmother  was  from  Holland  and  both 
these,  as  well  as  his  parents,  were  members  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church.  They  were  sturdy  stock  and  are  represented 
as  being  "intelligent  and  pious  people."  He  was  a  child  of 
the  Covenant  and  early  in  life  showed  a  disposition  to  seek 
His  glory.  His  conversion  occurred  early  in  his  life  and 
"amid  all  his  youthful  aspirations  and  in  the  prosecution 
of  his  studies,  the  gospel  ministry  was  ever  before  his  mind 
as  the  work  of  life,  to  which  he  felt  that  in  the  Providence 
and  by  the  grace  of  God  he  was  called." 

Later  in  life,  in  speaking  of  his  first  communion,  he  said: 
"I  shall  never  forget  it;  it  was  like  heaven  begun  on  earth." 
His  father  died  when  he  was  about  sixteen  years  of  age 
and  this  is  also  the  age  at  which  he  united  with  the  church- 
Though  a  mere  boy  he  experienced  a  longing  for  greater 
service  in  the  Kingdom  of  His  Master. 


48  HISTORY  OF   PATH   VALLEY 

Mr.  McGinley  is  reported  as  having  said  from  the  pulpit : 
"Had  it  not  been  for  the  prayers  and  influence  of  a  pious 
mother,  he  who  now  addresses  you  would  not  in  all  human 
probability  be  occupying  this  sacred  place."  It  was  his 
godly  mother  who  encouraged  him  to  prepare  himself  for 
the  gospel  ministry.  His  preparation  for  college  was  at  the 
classical  school  of  Rev.  Dobbin,  at  Gettysburg.  Thence  he 
entered  Dickinson  College  under  the  presidency  of  Dr. 
Nisbet,  from  which  institution  he  graduated  with  honors 
in  1798.  He  found  it  necessary  to  interrupt  his  studies 
in  order  to  get  more  funds  and  for  this  purpose  he  followed 
the  teaching  profession. 

Immediately  after  the  completion  of  his  college  course 
he  began  the  study  of  theology  under  the  guidance  of  his 
pastor,  the  Rev.  Wm.  Paxton,  D.  D.  He  applied  for 
licensure  in  October,  1801,  and  in  June,  1802,  he  married 
Miss  Annie  Blythe,  who  was  born  and  raised  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  Fairfield.  On  the  third  day  of  April,  1802,  he 
was  called  as  pastor  of  the  United  Churches  of  Path  Valley 
and  having  accepted  the  call  moved  with  his  youthful  bride 
to  the  valley  where  he  was  destined  to  spend  so  many  years 
of  useful  service. 

The  following  is  a  true  copy  of  the  call  made  out  to  Mr. 
McGinley : 

"The  United  Congregations  of  Upper  and  Lower  Path  Valley, 
being  on  sufficient  grounds  well  satisfied  of  the  Ministerial  Quali- 
fications of  you,  Mr.  Amos  A.  McGinley  and  having  good  hope 
from  our  past  Experience  of  your  labours  that  your  Ministrations 
in  the  Gospel  will  be  profitable  to  Our  Spiritual  interests  do 
Earnestly  call  and  Desire  you  to  Undertake  the  pastoral  office  in 
said  United  Congregations,  promising  you  in  the  discharge  of 
your  duty,  all  proper  Support,  Encouragement  and  Obedience  in 
the  Lord,  and  that  you  may  be  free  from  wordly  care  and  avoca- 
tion, we  hereby  promise  and  oblige  ourselves,  to  pay  you  the  sum 
of  One  Hundred  and  Fifty  Pounds  in  yearly  payments  during  the 
time  of  your  being  and  continuing  the  Regular  Pastor  of  this 
Church:  for  the  performance  of  which  the  congregation  bind 
themselves  jointly  and  severally  agreeably  to  subscription  papers 
accompanying  this  our  Call,  and  the  subscribing  Elders  are  only 
bound  equally  with  the  other  members. 

In  testimony  whereof,  we  have  respectively  subscribed  our 
names  this  Third  Day  of  April  1802. 

It  was  unanimously  agreed  that  the  elders  subscribe  the  above 
in  the  name  and  behalf  of  said  congregation  and  Messrs.  Samuel 
Walker   and    Richard    Morrow   were   appointed    Commissioners    to 


PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCHES  49 

forward  the  above  to  Presbytery  and  to  act  for  the  congr.  relative 
to  it.  Mr.  Samuel  Walker  was  also  appointed  to  attend  Pby.  as 
a  member. 

Signed 

SAM'L.  WALKER,  ' 
RICHARD   MORROW, 
ARCHIBALD  ELLIOTT, 
WILLIAM    LOWTHER, 

Elders. 

That  the  above  call  was  regularly  conducted  according  to  the 
rules  of  our  church  &  unanimously  adopted  without  one  dissenting 
voice  is  certified  the  day  and  date  above  mentioned  by 

ROBT.  COOPER, 

Moderator. 

After  receiving  the  above  call  Mr.  McGinley  served  as 
stated  supply  until  the  spring  of  1803.  On  April  13,  1803, 
at  a  meeting  of  Carlisle  Presbytery,  held  at  Greencastle,  he 
was  ordained  and  "on  the  Friday  preceding  the  3rd  Sabbath 
of  June  following  he  was  installed  pastor  of  the  United 
Churches,  by  a  committee  of  Presbytery." 

The  place  of  meeting  was  in  the  Upper  Church.  Doctors 
Denny,  the  late  pastor,  and  King,  of  Mercersburg,  per- 
formed these  pleasant  and  solemn  duties. 

"He  is  represented  as  having  entered  upon  this  field  of 
labor  with  all  the  energy,  freshness  and  bouyancy  of  early 
manhood  and  to  have  made  full  proof  of  his  ministry."  One 
of  his  ministerial  brethren  has  described  his  preaching  as 
being  "instructive  and  persuasive  and  characterized  by  nat- 
uralness and  simplicity  adapted  to  please  and  attract,  to 
instruct  and  edify  all  classes  of  hearers."  The  writer  of 
this  sketch  has  in  conversation  with  some  of  the  elderly 
members  of  his  congregation  heard  of  his  faithfulness  as  a 
pastor  and  his  ability  as  an  expounder  of  the  truth.  In  the 
Burnt  Cabins  Church  there  is  one  whom  he  baptised,  cata- 
chized  and  received  into  the  membership  and  this,  like  a 
link,  binds  us  to  the  great  chain  which  carries  us  back 
three-fourths  of  a  century  and  makes  real  to  us  the  past. 

Mr.  McGinley  had  six  children,  but  three  of  them  died 
early  in  life.  His  first  home  in  the  valley  was  in  part  of 
the  house  of  James  Alexander.  But  he  afterward  purchased 
some  land  and  he  built  a  home  thereon.  Here  he  was  able 
by  such  leisure  as  he  could  command  from  a  busy  pastorate, 
to  supplement  his  meagre  salary.  He  once,  in  confidence, 
told  his  successor  that  if  it  had  not  been  for  the  fruits  of  his 
farm  he  would  not  have  been  able  to  continue  his  preaching, 
for  his  salarv  was  never  more  than  $400.     Here  he  labored 


50 


HISTORY   OF   PATH   VALLEY 


o 

u 

XI 

o 
> 


t- 

a 
a 


PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCHES  51 

in  zeal  and  steadfastness  for  nearly  fifty  years  and  though 
overtures  from  Philadelphia  and  other  fields  of  labor  were 
received  he  chose  to  remain  in  his  first  and  only  pastorate. 
Even  when  age  and  infirmity  made  it  longer  impossible  to 
continue  as  minister  he  remained  among  his  people  and 
performed  such  services  as  his  health  permitted. 

Scarcely  does  a  pastor  have  the  joy  and  responsibility  of 
intimate  relationship  as  spiritual  and  social  advisor  which 
he  so  long  enjoyed. 

Mr.  J.  Mac.  Wilhelm  tells  me  that  Dr.  McGinley  was  the 
umpire  or  judge  in  many  disputes  most  of  which  he  was 
not  only  able  keep  out  of  court  but  also  to  reconcile  the 
parties  involved.  The  wise  counsel  of  such  men  as  Dr. 
McGinley  and  Mr.  Gordon  has  no  doubt  contributed  in 
large  measure  toward  making  our  churches  coherent  and 
peaceful  as  religious  bodies  and  strong  social  factors  in  the 
valley's  life.     The  memory  of  such  men  is  always  blessed. 

On  account  of  age  and  infirmity  Mr.  McGinley  informed 
his  congregation  on  March  23,  1851,  that  he  intended  to 
ask  Presbytery's  permission  to  resign  his  charge  and  de- 
sired that  his  people  concur  in  his  request.  This  they  were 
loathe  to  do  for  many  of  them  had  received  baptism  at  his 
hands,  he  had  performed  the  marriages  of  many  and  was 
the  only  pastor  most  of  them  knew. 

The  elderly  ones  could  recall  the  many  seasons  of  re- 
freshing from  the  presence  of  the  Lord.  The  great  revival 
of  1831,  when  about  a  hundred  members  were  received  into 
church  fellowship  could  not  be  forgotten. 

The  little  home-made  book,  a  marriage  register,  which 
was  exhibited  at  our  both  anniversaries  contained  the  names 
of  697  couples  he  had  married.  It  was  common  gossip  that 
he  had  purchased  his  farm  with  the  fees  which  totaled 
$3,303.25,  but  no  one  envied  his  goods,  for  he  had  been  to 
them  a  faithful  shepherd  and  guide. 

"In  1816  the  'Stone  Church'  was  built,  occupying  the 
same  site  that  the  present  structure  occupies.  Its  dimen- 
sions were  36  by  60  feet.  The  position  of  the  pulpit  corre- 
sponded with  that  of  those  in  this  house.  The  church  was 
provided  with  four  doors — two  at  the  northwestern  end. 
opening  directly  into  the  two  main  aisles ;  and  one  at  each 
side,  opening  into  the  cross-aisles  in  front  of  the  pulpit. 
The  ceiling  was  arched.  Owing  to  some  defect  in  the  frame 
of  the  roof  the  side  walls  bulged,  which  led  to  the  intro- 
duction of  several  heavy  cross-bars  of  iron  near  their  top. 
The  woodwork  was  never  painted;  and  the  whole  internal 
appearance  of  the  house  was  dingy,  cheerless,  uninviting 
and  uncomfortable.   Xor  did  the  appearance  deceive.    It  was 


52  HISTORY   OF   PATH   VALLEY 

a  cold  place  in  winter.  With  all  the  'firing  up'  that  could  be 
done,  the  humidity  of  the  breath  would  congeal.  Many  a 
ludicrous  thought  has  started  in  the  mind  of  your  speaker 
as  he  looked  out  from  the  little  tub-pulpit  over  his  congre- 
gation with  forms  drawn  up,  shivering,  agitated  and  puffing 
away  like  so  many  little  stationary  engines — for  the  time 
stationary  from  a  sense  of  duty  but  eager  to  hear  the 
'amen'  that  they  might  be  off  to  their  comfortable  houses. 
But  after  all  this  state  of  affairs,  together  with  the  straight 
high-backed  pews  may  not  have  been  without  their  com- 
pensating advantages."* 

During  his  pastorate  the  third  church  building  was 
erected  at  Fannettsburg.  The  growing  size  of  the  congre- 
gation made  this  necessary.  This  church,  erected  in  1832, 
was  48  by  52  feet  in  dimensions.  "It  was  a  frame  and 
rough  cast  building,  with  the  pulpit  in  the  east  end  and 
four  double  doors."  But  as  a  description  will  be  found  else- 
where we  will  not  describe  it  further  except  to  say  that  at 
the  time  of  its  construction  it  was  one  of  the  finest  appointed 
places  of  worship  in  any  country  community.  Its  heating 
plant  was  a  great  comfort  when  we  think  of  the  first  build- 
ing, void  of  any  stove  or  fireplace. 

The  Upper  congregation  built  a  new  stone  church  during 
his  pastorate. 

Toward  the  close  of  his  ministry  there  was  a  large  num- 
ber of  families  who  moved  to  the  West.  They  became  the 
nucleus  of  new  church  organizations.  One  of  our  members 
has  visited  the  church  at  Delphi,  Indiana,  where  James 
Witherow  and  Wm.  Dunkle  served  as  elders  after  promoting 
a  Presbyterian  Church.  Then  there  were  the  Walkers 
(McGinley  and  Alexander),  Geddes  and  Campbells,  who 
were  largely  responsible  for  tiie  building  of  the  church  at 
Fountain  Green,  111.  All  these  and  many  more  were  mem- 
bers of  the  Lower  Church.  In  one  year  alone  there  were 
thirty-five  members  lost  to  the  congregation  by  migration 
to  the  West. 

Including  Burnt  Cabins  there  were  supposed  to  be  about 
175  communicants  in  the  Lower  Church  in  the  latter  part 
of  his  pastorate. 

The  elders  who  served  in  the  Upper  Church  from  1808 
until  the  separation  in  1851  were  James  Alexander,  Wil- 
liam Alexander,  John  Elder,  John  Holliday  (son  of  one  of 
the  first  elders),  Andrew  Morrow,  David  Riddle,  Stephen 
Skinner,  James  McCurdy,  Sr.,  and  James  McCurdy,  Jr., 
James  Dougal,  John  Alexander,  Jacob  Shearer,  Peter 
Shearer  and  James  Stark.  The  four  last  named  were  elected 
in  1839. 

*Quoted  from  Dr.  West's  Centennial  Address. 


PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCHES  53 

The  elders  during  his  ministry  in  the  Lower  Church  were : 
David  Walker,  Wm.  McClay,  Paul  Geddes,  John  Camp- 
bell, James  Walker,  Joseph  Brown,  Alexander  Walker, 
George  Elliott,  Wm.  Elliott,  James  Campbell,  James  Cree, 
Sr.,  James  Cree,  Jr.,  Wm.  Campbell,  Daniel  Brown. 

March  27,  1851,  at  a  congregational  meeting  resolutions 
were  passed  declaring  their  high  esteem  and  unabated  at- 
tachment to  Dr.  McGinley  and  in  keeping  with  his  urgent 
request  the  congregation  acquiesced  in  his  request.  The 
pastoral  relation  was  dissolved  by  Presbytery  meeting  at 
Lower  Marsh  Creek  in  April,  1851. 

Soon  after  his  release  from  the  duties  of  the  pastorate 
Doctor  McGinley  removed  to  Fannettsburg. 

He  died  on  the  evening  of  the  first  of  May  A.  D.  1856, 
aged  78  years,  leaving  the  wife  of  his  youth  and  three  chil- 
dren— one  son  and  two  daughters — to  mourn  his  loss,  but 
living  in  expectation  of  a  blessed  reunion  with  him  in 
Heaven.  His  remains  rest  in  the  burying  ground  at  the 
Lower  Church  and  the  spot  is  marked  by  a  monument  bear- 
ing the  following  inscription  : 

In  Memory  of 
REV.  AMOS  A.  McGINLEY,  D.  D. 

Born  Mar.  4,  1778 

Near  Fairfield,  Adams  County,  Pa., 

Graduated  at  Dickinson  College ; 

Licensed  to  Preach  the  Gospel  by  the  Presbytery  of 

Carlisle,  Oct.,  1801 ; 

Installed  Pastor  of  the  United  Churches  of  Upper  and 

Lower  Path  Valley,  Nov.,  1802  ;f 

Resigned  his  charge  April,  1851; 

Died  at  Fannettsburg,  May  1,  1856. 

Erected 

By  the  United  Congregations  of  Upper  and  Lower 

Path  Valley  and  Burnt  Cabins, 

As  an  affectionate  tribute  to  the  eminent  piety  and 

exalted  worth  of  a  beloved  and 

venerated  Pastor. 

Who,  faithful  in  all  the  relations  of  Preacher,  friend 

and  counsellor,  for  nearly  fifty  years  went  in  and 

out  before  them,  breaking  unto  them  the 

Bread  of  Life. 

Precious  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord  is  the  death 

of  His  saints.  Ps.  11:15. 


I  A  mistake.     As  shown  he  was  not  installed  until  June,   1803, 
though  he  settled  and  entered  upon  his  labors  at  the  above  date. 


54  HISTORY  OF   PATH   VALLEY 

Mrs.  McGinley,  though  always  delicate  and  fragile,  and 
clinging  to  her  husband  like  some  tender  plant,  for  support, 
survived  him  almost  five  years.  The  closing  days  of  her 
life  were  spent  with  her  son-in-law  and  daughter,  Captain 
Samuel  and  Sarah  Walker,  at  Carrick  Furnace,  four  miles 
from  Fannettsburg,  where  she  died  April  23d,  1861,  at  the 
advanced  aged  of  83  years.  Her  remains  repose  beside 
those  of  her  husband. 


PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCHES 


55 


2      i-> 


56  HISTORY  OF   PATH   VALLEY 


HISTORICAL  ADDRESS  OF  REV.  D.  I.  CAMP. 


After  the  resignation  of  Dr.  McGinley  the  people  of  his 
charge  determined  to  divide,  the  Lower  Church  and  Burnt 
Cabins  to  form  one  charge  and  this  church  another.  The  Up- 
per church  did  not  long  remain  vacant,  but  in  October,  1851, 
presented  to  presbytery  a  call  for  the  services  of  Rev.  Wm. 
Armstrong  Grayham,  promising  him  a  salary  of  $500  and 
as  much  more  as  could  be  raised.  The  call  was  accepted  and 
on  the  12th  of  December  following  Mr.  Grayham  was  or- 
dained and  installed.  Rev.  M.  E.  Johnston,  of  Carlisle, 
preached  the  sermon  from  II  Cor.  3  :3.  Dr.  McGinley  pre- 
sided and  delivered  the  charges  both  to  the  pastor  and 
people.  Mr.  Grayham's  pastorate  was  short.  When  he 
came  here  he  was  in  delicate  health.  During  the  following 
Winter  and  Spring  it  became  still  further  impaired.  In 
April  Presbytery  elected  him  one  of  the  commissioners  to 
General  Assembly  in  the  hope  that  the  trip  to  South  Caro- 
lina would  prove  beneficial.  He  returned  greatly  enfeebled 
and  dispirited.  At  the  June  meeting  of  Presbytery  he 
offered  his  resignation,  the  congregation  sorrowfully  acqui- 
esing  for  they  had  already  learned  to  love  and  esteem  him. 
Mr.  Grayham  was  born  July  3rd,  1822.  He  pursued  his 
academical  studies  in  the  preparatory  department  of  Dick- 
inson College  and  in  due  season  entered  the  college.  He 
was  converted  in  a  great  revival  during  the  Winter  of  1843- 
1844  in  the  Second  Church  of  Carlisle,  then  under  the  care 
of  Rev.  T.  U.  Moore.  He  joined  the  church  in  February, 
1844.  He  made  choice  of  the  gospel  ministry  as  his  life's 
work  and  entered  the  Theological  Seminary  at  Princeton 
in  the  Fall  of  1845.  He  put  himself  under  the  care  of  the 
Presbytery  of  Carlisle  and  was  licensed  June  2nd,  1847. 
After  giving  up  the  work  in  Path  Valley  he  preached  when 
his  health  permitted  in  several  different  places.  He  died 
September  28,  1857,  after  a  brief  illness  which  he  bore  with 
great  patience.  His  mortal  remains  rest  in  the  old  grave- 
yard of  Carlisle. 

About  six  weeks  after  the  resignation  of  Mr.  Grayham, 
Rev.  William  A.  West  was  invited  to  visit  and  preach  in 
the  Upper  Church.  He  became  stated  supply  September 
11th,  1852,  and  was  elected  pastor  March,  1853.  On  the 
third  of  the  following  June  he  was  installed.  Rev.  Jos. 
Clark  preached  the  sermon  from  Luke  11:35,  "Take  heed 
therefore  how  ye  hear."     Dr.  Creigh  delivered  the  charge 


PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCHES  57 

to  the  pastor  and  Rev.  Edwin  Emerson  to  the  people.  The 
pastorate  of  Mr.  West  was  a  fruitful  one.  During-  the  first 
fifteen  years  of  his  work  among  you  there  were  additions 
to  the  membership  at  every  communion  service,  except  one 
in  October,  1861. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  session  February  2,  1856,  it  was  re- 
solved to  do  away  with  tables  at  the  administration  of  the 
Lord's  Supper  and  that  communicants  be  requested  to  take 
their  seats  in  the  center  pews,  appropriated  for  the  purpose, 
when  they  enter  the  church  on  Sabbath  morning.  There 
were  several  revivals  of  religion  during  this  pastorate.  The 
first  of  these  covered  about  two  years,  1855  and  1856.  Dur- 
ing most  of  the  time  in  the  former  of  these  years  Divine 
blessings  were  coming  down  upon  our  Zion.  It  was  a  year 
of  awakened  interest,  of  earnestness  and  prayerfulness 
among  God's  people.  During  a  series  of  meetings  in  1856 
Mr.  West  was  assisted  by  Rev.  Thompson  and  Rev.  I.  N. 
Hays.  Many  were  brought  into  the  church,  family  altars 
were  erected  and  in  many  other  ways  the  work  of  the 
Spirit  was  manifested.  During  these  two  years  101  were 
added  to  the  church  on  confession.  During  the  year  1856 
the  present  house  of  worship  was  erected  on  the  site  of 
the  old  stone  church.  This  was  a  great  improvement  and 
Mr.  West  and  his  people  deserve  great  credit  for  their 
efforts  and  work  accomplished.  This  building  has  been 
remodeled  at  different  times  as  we  will  see  later  on.  It  is 
now  one  of  the  most  beautiful  country  churches  in  our 
State.  During  the  Winter  of  '65  and  '66  there  was  another 
precious  revival.  Committees  of  visitation  to  the  various 
churches  had  been  appointed  by  Presbytery  and  the  meet- 
ings held  in  accordance  with  this  arrangement  assumed  a 
very  manifest  and  decided  work  of  grace  from  the  first. 
As  a  result  seventy-six  were  added  to  the  church  from 
October  '65  to  October  '66.  Rev.  West  says :  "Some  of  the 
most  joyous  and  delightful  moments  of  my  life  were  ex- 
perienced in  the  services  during  this  revival."  During  the 
year  1871  there  were  fifty  added  to  the  church.  Previous 
to  the  Winter  communion  this  year  the  pastor  was  assisted 
by  Rev.  I.  N.  Hayes  and  Rev.  J.  S.  Gordon.  At  this  com- 
munion forty  were  added  to  the  church  and  ten  at  the  fol- 
lowing communion.  On  October  5.  1867.  Jacob  Shearer,  an 
elder  of  .the  church,  was  called  into  rest.  The  session  re- 
corded their  unnanimous  testimony  of  his  Stirling  worth  as 
a  man,  his  earnest  piety  and  his  fidelity  as  an  office  bearer 
of  the  church.  At  the  time  Rev.  West  became  the  pastor 
of  this  church  there  were  two  hundred  forty  members  on 
the  roll.     During  his  pastorate  of  twenty  years  there  were 


58  HISTORY   OF   PATH   VALLEY 

in  all  five  hundred  additions  to  the  membership,  four  hun- 
dred eighty-four  baptisms  and  one  hundred  ninety-one  mar- 
riages. At  the  one  hundredth  anniversary  of  the  church, 
held  in  1867,  Rev.  West  states  that  103  had  already  been 
taken  away  from  the  number  he  had  received  into  the 
church,  78  by  removals  and  25  by  death  and  of  the  240  who 
were  members  when  he  became  pastor  nearly  one-half  were 
missing",  42  removals,  75  deaths.  In  1857  Mrs.  West,  who 
was  a  great  help  to  her  husband  and  an  inspiration  in  every 
good  work,  organized  the  Woman's  Home  and  Foreign 
Missionary  Society,  which  continues  in  active  service  to  the 
present  time.  The  women  of  our  church  have  done  much 
for  the  Master,  both  at  home  and  abroad  during  these  years. 

In  resolutions  passed  at  the  death  of  Elder  Jacob  Shearer, 
which  occurred  August  24,  1869,  the  session  speaks  of  him 
as  having  fallen  asleep  in  Jesus,  a  man  well  beloved  and 
respected  for  his  piety  and  good  works.  At  a  meeting  of 
session  December  25,  1870,  it  was  resolved  that  as  many 
of  its  members  had  become  infirm  because  of  age,  to  hold 
a  congregational  meeting  on  Saturday,  January  7,  71,  to 
elect  additional  elders,  five  in  Path  Valley  and  two  in 
Amberson. 

At  this  meeting,  which  was  fully  attended,  the  following 
were  elected:  David  W.  Bair,  James  Culbertson,  Thomas 
B.  Gaston,  Wm.  H.  Mackey,  Wm.  C.  Shearer,  Stephen  M. 
Skinner  and  John  Wolff.  Excepting  Wm.  H.  Mackey,  who 
was  dismissed  to  the  Central  Presbyterian  Church  of  Cham- 
bersburg,  these  all  remained  in  the  church  and  performed 
the  duties  of  their  office  until  called,  one  by  one,  into  their 
eternal  reward. 

In  1871  the  church  reported  to  the  Spring  meeting  of 
Presbytery  the  purchase  of  a  house  and  lot,  to  be  used  as  a 
manse,  at  a  cost  of  $2,850,  and  furnishing  the  parlor  at  a  cost 
of  $135,  and  $200  spent  in  improvements  of  said  property. 
This  manse  is  still  used  by  the  pastor  and  is  a  very  com- 
fortable home.  On  December  8,  1872,  Rev.  West  called  a 
meeting  of  session  and  desired  a  congregational  meeting 
that  he  might  present  his  resignation  as  pastor  of  the 
church,  stating  as  his  reasons  for  desiring  to  leave,  inade- 
quate support,  lack  of  educational  advantages  for  his  family 
and  that  he  had  received  a  very  pressing  invitation  from  the 
pastors  and  elders  of  the  Market  Square  and  Pine  Street 
Churches  of  Harrisburg,  to  take  charge  of  a  new  enterprise 
to  be  set  on  foot  in  that  city.  Very  reluctantly  his  resigna- 
tion was  accepted.  Presbytery  at  a  meeting  held  in  Cham- 
bersburg  December  27,  1872,  dissolved  the  pastoral  relation 
to  take  effect  January  31st,  1873.    Dr.  Gordon,  of  the  Lower 


PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCHES  59 

Church,  was  appointed  to  preach  on  the  first  Sabhath  of 
February  and  to  declare  the  pulpit  vacant.  Notwithstand- 
ing' the  dissolution  of  the  pastoral  relation  Rev.  West 
was  more  or  less  identified  with  Upper  Path  Valley  until 
his  death,  and  was  stated  supply  of  this  pulpit  during  its 
vacancy  in  1905.  He  never  lost  his  first  love  for  this  people 
and  he  was  loved  and  honored,  not  only  by  those  of  the 
Upper  Path  Valley  Presbyterian  Church,  but  by  those  of 
every  church  throughout  the  whole  valley. 

He  was  born  in  Landisburg,  Pa.,  February  25,  1825.  He 
united  with  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  New  Bloomfield  in 
the  Spring  of  1843.  He  graduated  from  Marshall  College, 
Mercersburg,  in  1849,  and  from  the  Allegheny  Theological 
Seminary  in  1852.  Dr.  West  was  in  his  81st  year  when 
I  first  met  him  and  I  will  never  forget  his  kind  and  hearty 
greeting,  nor  the  impression  he  made  on  me  as  I  came  down 
the  aisle  of  this  church  and  saw  him  sitting  here  before  the 
pulpit.  1  recognized  him  as  a  man  of  God  and  my  inter- 
course with  him  during  the  few  remaining  years  of  his  life 
will  ever  be  among  the  pleasant  memories  of  my  life.  At 
this  ripe  age  he  was  a  man  of  great  activity  both  of  mind 
and  body.  Those  who  knew  him  through  many  years  of  his 
useful  life  say:  "He  was  humble,  gentle,  unselfish  and 
thoughtful  of  others,  patient  and  courteous  in  his  inter- 
course with  all  persons,  cheerful  and  playful  even  in  his 
disposition  and  temper  of  mind,  yet  capable  of  indignation 
on  occasion.  Methodical  and  careful  and  accurate  in  his 
habits  of  work,  conscientious  and  spiritual  in  his  religious 
life,  sympathetic  and  attentive  as  a  pastor,  invaluable  for 
his  wisdom  and  counsel  as  a  presbyter  and  greatly  useful 
as  a  stated  clerk  of  Presbytery  for  a  third  of  a  century." 
Our  Heavenly  Father  called  him  into  his  eternal  reward 
September  26,  1909,  in  the  85th  year  of  his  age.  He  spent 
much  of  his  time  in  his  later  years  at  his  home  in  the  valley, 
which  is  still  called  Dr.  West's  farm.  His  body  was  laid  to 
rest  in  the  cemetery  at  Mercersburg. 

Rev.  S.  C.  Alexander,  of  Shirleysburg,  a  descendant  of 
one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Path  Valley,  was  called  to  be- 
come the  pastor  of  this  church  March  6,  1873,  and  was  duly 
installed  May  23.  The  session  at  this  time  consisted  of 
thirteen  members.  At  a  meeting  held  June  5,  1873,  the 
treasurer  was  directed  to  pay  the  pastor's  salary  in  in- 
stallments of  one  hundred  dollars  whenever  that  amount 
was  collected.  In  February,  1874,  it  was  resolved  to  raise 
$1,100  to  pay  off  a  debt  of  $800  on  the  manse  and  other  debts 
that  had  accumulated.  As  a  result  of  this  effort  $1,200  was 
secured,  making  a  total  of  $2,400  for  congregational  pur- 


60  HISTORY  OF   PATH   VALLEY 

poses  that  year.  At  a  session  meeting  April  5th  a  gift  of 
$50.50  from  the  Woman's  Missionary  Society  to  the  Scotia 
Seminary,  in  Concord,  N.  C,  was  increased  to  $100,  to  be 
applied  to  the  erection  of  a  seminary  building  and  a  room 
to  be  designated  Woman's  Missionary  Society  and  Church 
of  Upper  Path  Valley,  Franklin  County,  Pa.  In  1874  the 
hall  was  built  in  Dry  Run.  The  second  floor  to  be  used 
for  religious  meetings  and  other  reasonable  purposes.  The 
first  floor  to  be  used  for  an  academy.  In  this  Dr.  Alexander 
led  in  one  of  the  best  things  ever  done  for  Path  Valley. 
Here  young  men  and  young  women,  not  only  from  this 
valley  but  from  beyond  the  mountains,  have  prepared  for 
college  and  for  many  useful  walks  in  life.  The  State  High 
School  that  has  superseded  the  old  academy  is  now  held  in 
the  old  school  room.  Mr.  Wayne  McVitty,  a  graduate  of 
Washington  and  Jefferson  College,  and  one  of  our  own 
valley  boys,  is  the  present  principal.  Miss  Eleanor  Miller,  a 
graduate  of  the  State  Normal  School  at  Shippensburg,  and 
one  of  our  valley  girls,  is  the  assistant  teacher.  Dr.  and 
Mrs.  Alexander  at  one  time  in  the  early  history  of  the 
academy  gave  their  time  in  teaching  in  order  to  keep  it 
going.  For  more  than  forty  years  this  building  has  served 
for  our  Sunday  evening  preaching  services,  Sunday  School, 
Christian  Endeavor  and  weekly  prayer  meetings.  In  this 
place  many  precious  souls  have  been  brought  into  the  king- 
dom of  God.  Mrs.  Alexander  also  brought  the  Woman's 
Missionary  Society  up  to  a  high  degree  of  efficiency. 

Mr.  John  Alexander,  who  was  elected  elder  during  Dr. 
McGinley's  pastorate,  died  July  25,  1875.  The  session  of 
August  1st  passed  the  following  resolution: 

"Whereas,  It  has  pleased  the  Great  Shepherd  to  remove 
by  death  our  beloved  friend  and  brother,  John  Alexander, 
from  our  midst ;  therefore  be  it 

'Resolved,  That  we  bear  our  united  testimony  to  his 
exalted  worth  in  all  the  relations  of  friend,  neighbor  and 
citizen,  and  to  his  fidelity  and  usefulness  as  a  member  of 
the  church  and  session." 

February  5th,  1876,  Elder  James  Culbertson,  of  the  Ara- 
berson  district,  asked  the  privilege  of  building  a  church  in 
that  portion  of  the  congregation.  On  motion  of  W.  M. 
Mackey  the  request  was  granted  and  they  were  recom- 
mended to  the  whole  congregation  for  aid  in  the  work. 

Elder  James  Stark  died  July  26,  1882,  in  the  83rd  year 
of  his  age,  a  man  respected  by  all  who  knew  him.  one  who 
loved  the  church  and  was  faithful  in  all  the  duties  of  his 
office. 


PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCHES  61 

Elder  Wm.  Herron  died  December  25,  1883,  in  his  81st 
year,  having  served  in  the  session  with  Mr.  Stark  upwards 
of  thirty  years.  He  died  as  he  lived,  trusting  in  Jesus,  and 
in  the  hope  of  everlasting  life. 

February  9,  1884,  it  was  resolved  to  call  a  joint  meeting 
of  elders  and  trustees  to  consider  the  advisability  of  certain 
repairs  and  improvements  to  the  church  property.  The 
meeting  was  called  for  February  16.  At  this  meeting  it 
was  resolved  to  do  the  work  and  to  endeavor  to  raise 
twelve  to  fifteen  hundred  dollars  for  the  work.  The  money 
was  secured  and  the  work  done.  At  this  time  the  walls  were 
frescoed  for  the  first  time.  The  steeple  and  bell  were  put 
in  place.  Chandeliers  were  put  in  and  new  carpet  for  the 
aisles.  The  front  second  story  room  was  also  added  to  the 
manse  at  this  time.  The  session  advised  the  congregation 
in  November,  1885,  to  elect  additional  elders.  The  election 
extended  over  three  Sabbaths  and  resulted  in  electing  the 
following:  George  Shearer,  Wm.  M.  Alexander,  D.  O. 
Shearer,  Wilson  H.  Coons,  J.  Clinton  Burk,  D.  D.  Stitt. 
They  were  installed  February  13,  1886.  Rev.  C.  R.  Lane 
preached  the  sermon.  Rev.  J.  D.  Hunter  charged  the  people 
and  the  pastor  charged  the  newly  elected  elders. 

Elder  Wm.  Mackey  died  September  29,  1885.  He  was  a 
man  who  loved  his  church,  and  was  always  ready  to  give  to 
her  his  best  services. 

During  the  Winter  of  1876  a  gracious  revival  was  ex- 
perienced in  the  church.  The  Week  of  Prayer  was  followed 
by  the  visible  working  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  In  February 
Rev.  Robert  McPherson,  of  the  visiting  committee,  sent  out: 
by  Presbytery,  arrived  at  the  church,  abiding  ten  days  and 
preached  with  acceptance  and  power.  Revs.  Gordon  and 
West  also  assisted  and  their  preaching  was  greatly  blessed. 
These  meetings  were  held  in  the  church  at  Spring  Run. 
They  were  afterward  opened  in  the  hall  at  Dry  Run  and  the 
Rev.  Wm.  Queigly,  of  the  U.  B.  Church,  assisted  the 
pastor.  The  interest  continued  and  the  blessing  of  God 
was  poured  out  upon  the  people.  From  the  beginning  to 
the  close  more  than  one  hundred  were  inquiring  the  way  of 
life  and  asking:  "What  must  I  do  to  be  saved."  Another 
period  of  revival  was  experienced  in  1885.  This  also  fol- 
lowed the  week  of  prayer  and  the  meetings  were  continued 
until  the  end  of  the  second  week  of  February.  During  the 
last  two  weeks  the  pastor  was  assisted  by  Rev.  L.  L.  Haugh- 
awant  and  many  were  added  to  the  church  at  this  time. 

On  March,  1,  1887,  Dr.  Alexander  resigned  as  pastor, 
much  to  the  regret  of  his  people.  During  his  pastorate  267 
were  received  into  the  church.     There  were   155  baptisms 


62  HISTORY  OF   PATH   VALLEY 

and  113  weddings.  Dr.  Alexander  was  called  from  Path 
Valley  to  the  churches  of  Millerstown  and  Newport,  where 
he  remained  until  his  death,  September  21,  1901,  in  the 
69th  year  of  his  age.  He  was  born  near  Shirleysburg,  Hun- 
ingdon  County,  Pa.,  April  7,  1833.  He  received  his  early 
education  partly  in  Mount  Washington  Academy,  Danville, 
Ky.,  remaining  there  two  years  and  graduated  from  Jeffer- 
son College  in  1858,  and  from  Columbia  Theological  Semi- 
nary in  1861.  He  was  licensed  by  the  Presbytery  of  Charles- 
ton, September  9,  1860.  In  1862  Dr.  Alexander  married 
Miss  Nannie  R.  Price,  of  Charlotte,  N.  C,  who  was  always 
a  great  help  to  him  in  his  work  as  a  pastor  and  minister. 
She  is  a  woman  well  loved  by  the  people  of  this  valley  and 
will  be  remembered  for  her  life  of  devotion  in  our  midst. 

For  many  years  Dr.  Alexander  was  chairman  of  Presby- 
tery's Permanent  Committee  on  Freedmen,  and  kept  his 
brethren  well  informed  and  interested  in  this  branch  of  the 
Church's  missionary  work.  His  power  as  a  preacher  lay 
in  his  simplicity  of  thought  and  style,  of  utterance.  His 
manner  in  the  pulpit  was  direct  and  utterly  devoid  of  the 
least  semblance  of  art.  His  sermons  were  clear,  logical  and 
forceful.  He  was  an  industrious  student  all  his  life  and  had 
a  remarkably  strong  grasp  on  the  truth  of  revelation.  As 
a  Presbyter  he  was  most  faithful.  As  a  pastor  he  was 
fearless,  kind  and  attentive.  He  was  public  spirited  and 
identified  himself  with  the  interests  of  his  community.  He 
was  one  of  the  people  and  his  influence  will  be  long  felt  in 
this  valley. 

At  a  congregational  meeting  held  December  17,  1887, 
Rev.  S.  S.  Wylie,  of  Middle  Spring,  was  called  to  the  pas- 
torate, which  call  he  declined.  At  a  meeting  June  2,  1888. 
Rev.  Thomas  Dobbin,  of  Morristown,  N.  J.,  was  unani- 
mously called  on  the  first  ballot  to  become  the  pastor  of 
this  church.  He  accepted  the  call  and  was  installed  on  the 
24th  of  October  following.  Rev.  B.  O.  McCurdy  presided. 
Rev.  T.  J.  Ferguson  preached  the  sermon.  Rev.  W.  H. 
Logan  charged  the  pastor,  Rev.  S.  S.  Wylie  charged  the 
people  and  Rev.  J.  S.  Gordon  offered  the  installation  prayer. 

Elder  Stephen  M.  Skinner  died  in  1892.  Session  resolved 
to  cherish  his  memory  for  his  unassuming  piety  and  Chris- 
tian fidelity  and  his  love  for  the  church  with  which  he  had 
been  so  long  and  closely  identified. 

The  church  experienced  a  most  blessed  revival  in  the 
Spring  of  1890.  At  this  time  the  Foote  brothers,  two  lay 
evangelists,  were  invited  to  assist  the  pastor.  The  interest 
was  very  great  from  the  first.  Christians  were  revived  and 
quickened  in  their  spiritual  life  and  many  were  led  to  accept 


PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCHES  63 

Christ  as  their  personal  Saviour  and  to  come  into  the  church 
on  confession  of  their  faith  in  Him.  Eighty-seven  additions 
were  reported  to  Presbytery  at  the  April  meeting  this  year. 

Elder  James  McCurdy  died  December  27,  1893.  He  was 
the  patriarch  of  the  session  at  the  time  of  his  death,  having 
served  as  elder  for  nearly  fifty  years.  He  was  a  man  strong 
in  the  faith  and  interested  in  all  good  work. 

The  organ  now  in  use  in  the  church  was  purchased  early 
in  Mr.  Dobbin's  pastorate.  In  1892  the  church  was  newly 
frescoed,  new  pews  (the  ones  now  in  use)  were  put  in 
place,  the  floor  for  the  first  time  was  entirely  covered  with 
carpet.  The  barn  at  the  manse,  built  early  in  Rev.  West's 
pastorate,  was  burned  in  1897.  This  was  soon  replaced  with 
a  new  one  which  pastors  have  since  found  to  be  very  con- 
venient. Rev.  Dobbin's  health  had  been  failing  for  some 
time  and  at  a  meeting  of  session  August  20,  1899,  we  find 
the  following: 

"Whereas,  Our  Heavenly  Father  in  his  infinite  wisdom 
has  seen  fit  to  lay  the  hand  of  affliction  on  our  beloved  pas- 
tor, depriving  us  of  his  services  and  leadership,  and  whereas 
he  is  now  absent  from  his  field  of  labor,  seeking  rest  and 
medical  help, 

"Resolved,  That  as  a  token  of  our  appreciation  of  his 
faithful  services  amongst  us  we  tender  him  our  heart-felt 
sympathy  and  assure  him  of  our  tender  regard  for  him  and 
our  earnest  desire  for  his  restoration  to  perfect  health  and 
to  this  end  we  will  pray  that  God  may  bless  the  means  used 
for  his  recovery. 

"Resolved,  That  we,  his  people,  extend  his  leave  of  ab- 
sence indefinitely  or  until  such  time  that  he  may  feel  per- 
fectly safe  in  returning  to  us.  In  the  meantime  his  salary 
shall  continue  as  if  he  were  in  the  full  performance  of  his 
work  as  our  pastor." 

Again,  in  October  of  the  same  year,  we  learn  that  on 
account  of  his  poor  health,  session  asked  the  congregation 
to  release  him  from  all  work  except  the  morning  services 
and  to  continue  his  salary  in  full.  In  spite  of  his  physical 
weakness  Rev.  Dobbin  continued  in  his  work  of  love,  re- 
fusing to  spare  himself  until  finally  compelled  to  give  up. 
When,  after  an  illness  of  much  suffering,  he  fell  asleep  in 
Jesus  March  23,  1900,  in  the  midst  of  a  loving  and  sorrowful 
people.  Mrs.  Dobbin  had,  and  still  has  the  sympathy  of 
this  people  in  her  double  sorrow  at  this  time,  as  their  only 
son,  a  lad  of  tender  years,  was  lying  critically  ill  at  the  time 
of  his  father's  illness  and  death,  whom  he  followed  into  the 
better  land  a  few  days  later.  During  Mr.  Dobbin's  pas- 
torate he  received  171  into  the  church,  baptised  207  persons 


64  HISTORY   OF   PATH   VALLEY 

and  performed  90  marriages.  He  was  born  in  Armah 
County,  Ireland,  May  1,  1840.  His  father  was  a  lawyer  and 
a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  His  father 
died  when  he  was  three  years  old  and  he  was  thus  left  to 
the  care  of  his  mother,  with  whom  at  the  age  of  seven  he 
came  to  the  United  States  and  settled  at  Troy,  N.  Y.  At 
the  age  of  fifteen  he  was  received  into  the  membership  of 
the  Presbyterian  Church  of  Green  Island.  A  year  later  his 
mother  died  and  his  home  was  broken  up.  He  now  turned 
his  heart  to  the  ministry  and  was  taken  into  the  family  of 
his  pastor,  the  Rev.  Wm.  E.  Jones,  and  by  him  prepared  to 
enter  Princeton  College,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in 
1865.  In  the  Fall  of  the  same  year  he  entered  the  Princeton 
Theological  Seminary  and  was  graduated  in  1868.  He  was 
ordained  by  the  Presbytery  of  Green  River,  October  28, 
1868,  having  accepted  a  call  to  the  church  of  Groveland,  N. 
Y.  Here  he  labored  for  seven  years.  While  pastor  of  this 
church  he  was  married  to  Miss  Sarah  Bigelow,  a  daughter 
of  one  of  its  honored  elders.  Mrs.  Dobbin  gave  to  her  hus- 
band a  wealth  of  love,  devoting  herself  to  him  in  health 
and  tenderly  nursing  him  in  his  last  illness.  She  and  two 
daughters  survive  him.  Rev.  Dobbin  spent  two  weeks  in 
this  valley  and  preached  by  the  invitation  of  the  session 
after  Dr.  Alexander's  resignation.  The  heart  of  the  people 
went  out  to  him  at  once  in  love  and  he  was  called  to  be 
your  pastor.  From  his  first  services  as  pastor  down  to  his 
release  by  death  his  best  energies  as  an  ambassador  and 
under-shepherd  for  Christ  were  given  to  this  church.  On 
Sabbath  morning,  March  11,  he  preached  in  the  church  at 
Spring  Run,  when  he  should  have  been  resting  at  home 
and  confined  to  his  bed.  His  intention  was  to  conduct  a 
funeral  service  in  the  afternoon  and  to  preach  in  the  hall  at 
Dry  Run  in  the  evening.  Only  a  peremptory,  prohibitory 
"No"  on  the  part  of  the  session  of  the  church,  spoken  aloud 
at  the  close  of  the  morning  service  prevented  him  from 
carrying  out  his  purpose.  This  was  his  last  public  service. 
He  died  on  Friday  and  on  the  Monday  following  the  funeral 
services  were  held  in  the  church.  His  remains  were  placed 
in  front  of  the  pulpit.  Upon  the  platform  were  seated  Rev. 
Wm.  A.  West,  Rev.  J.  G.  Rose,  of  Mercersburg;  Rev.  Geo. 
Norcross,  of  Carlisle;  Rev.  J.  F.  Diener,  of  Upper  Tusca- 
rora;  Rev.  J.  Smith  Gordon,  of  Fannettsburg;  Rev.  Wagner, 
of  the  U.  B.  Church,  Spring  Run.  Dr.  Gordon  conducted 
the  services  and  all  the  other  ministers  gave  heart-felt  ex- 
pressions of  their  love  and  regard  for  their  departed  brother. 
The  assembly  was  the  largest  and  the  services  the  most  im- 
pressive ever  held  in  this  church. 


PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCHES  65 

The  respect  and  love  that  all  classes  bore  toward  him 
were  strongly  evidenced,  as  his  coffined  remains  lay  in  the 
church  after  the  funeral  services,  when  the  long  line  of 
those  who  had  come  to  the  services  to  bear  testimony  to 
his  worth  and  goodness,  silently  passed  the  bier,  lingering, 
one  by  one  and  gazing  intently  upon  his  silent  form,  seemed 
to  say :  "What  a  friend  I  had  in  that  noble  man."  His  re- 
mains were  taken  back  to  the  place  of  his  former  labors  and 
laid,  on  the  day  following  these  services,  in  Lake  View 
Cemetery,  not  far  from  Groveland,  his  first  charge.  John 
Wolff,  Denny  D.  Stitt  and  D.  O.  Shearer,  members  of  the 
session,  accompanied  his  remains  to  their  last  resting  place. 
Thus  ended  the  solemn  pageant  connected  with  the  death 
and  burial  of  this  beloved  pastor  and  friend  for  whom  not 
only  the  members  of  this  congregation,  but  even  the  whole 
population  of  Path  Valley  have  mourned  on  account  of  the 
loss  they  have  sustained.  As  a  Presbyter  Rev.  Dobbin  was 
highly  esteemed  and  honored  by  his  fellow  members  of  the 
Carlisle  Presbytery.  As  a  preacher  he  was  earnest  and 
presented  the  Gospel  in  a  faithful  manner.  As  a  pastor  he 
knew  no  distinction  between  those  he  met  but  regarded  all 
as  God's  children — as  his  brothers  and  sisters — whether  rich 
or  poor,  learned  or  unlearned.  His  age  was  fifty-nine  years, 
ten  months  and  twenty-two  days. 

Soon  after  the  death  of  Rev.  Dobbin  and  while  the  pulpit 
was  yet  vacant,  we  note  the  death  of  Elder  Wm.  C.  Shearer, 
June  25,  1900,  a  man  interested  in  every  good  work.  He  was 
loved  and  respected  by  all  who  knew  him. 

At  a  congregation  meeting  December  4,  1900,  Rev. 
George  H.  Bucher,  of  North  Dakota,  was  unanimously 
called  to  become  the  pastor  of  this  church  at  a  salary  of 
$1,000  a  year  and  a  yearly  vacation  of  four  weeks.  Rev. 
Bucher  was  installed  May  10,  1901.  Rev.  T.  J.  Ferguson' 
preached  the  sermon.  Rev.  George  Norcross,  D.  D.,  charged 
the  pastor.  Rev.  W.  A.  West,  D.  D.,  charged  the  people. 
Rev.  J.  S.  Gordon  offered  the  installation  prayer.  During 
Mr.  Bucher's  pastorate  the  same  gracious  work  of  the  Spirit, 
that  has  been  noted  through  out  the  life  of  the  church,  con- 
tinued to  manifest  itself.  On  February  8,  1902,  a  large 
number  united  with  the  church  in  Amberson. 

At  a  meeting  of  session.  October  4,  1901.  Mr.  J.  M.  War- 
den, an  evangelist,  was  invited  to  work  with  the  pastor.  A 
very  blessed  revival  followed  when  upwards  of  80  were 
gathered  into  the  church. 


66  HISTORY  OF   PATH   VALLEY 

Elder  D.  W.  Bair  died  July  5,  1902,  after  serving  thirty- 
two  years  in  office.  The  session  resolved  to  bear  testimony 
to  his  Christian  character  and  zeal  for  the  church  he  loved 
so  well,  to  his  tolerance  and  charity  and  yet  his  firm  stand 
for  the  right. 

On  January  7,  1904,  Elder  James  B.  Culbertson  entered 
into  the  rest  that  remains  for  the  people  of  God.  He  was 
elected  elder  at  the  same  time  with  D.  W.  Bair  and  served 
with  him  during  these  thirty-two  years.  He  was  a  faithful 
and  honored  member  of  the  church  whose  interests  he 
faithfully  guarded. 

On  April  4,  1904,  it  was  resolved  by  session  that  they 
recommend  to  the  congregation  the  election  of  eight  ad- 
ditional elders. 

The  following  were  elected:  E.  Newton  Kirkpatrick,  J. 
C.  Burk,  A.  M.  Brenize,  Joseph  French,  John  D.  Stitt,  W. 
W.  Culbertson,  Lemuel  Burk  and  H.  P.  Piper. 

At  a  congregational  meeting  November  2,  1904,  Rev. 
Bucher  requested  the  people  to  join  with  him  in  asking 
Presbytery  to  dissolve  the  pastoral  relation  existing  be- 
tween them.  This  they  were  very  loath  to  do,  but  as  Mr. 
Bucher  desired  it  they  finally  consented  and  Presbytery 
at  a  meeting  in  Welch  Run,  November  3,  dissolved  said 
relation  to  take  effect  December  1,  1904.  There  were  103 
additions  to  the  church  and  54  baptism  during  Rev.  Bucher's 
pastorate. 

Your  present  pastor  was  called  January  26,  1905.  Owing 
to  the  Winter  season  and  also  that  a  former  pastor,  Rev. 
W.  A.  West,  D.  D.,  was  willing  to  serve  as  stated  supply 
lie  did  not  begin  the  work  among  you  until  the  first  Sabbath 
of  May.  The  events  of  these  years  you  all  know  and  they 
are  only  recorded  here  that  we  may  have  the  history  of  the 
church  in  convenient  form  to  the  present  time.  A  hot  water 
heating  plant  was  placed  in  the  manse  in  the  Fall  of  1905, 
which  has  made  it  a  very  comfortable  and  cheerful  Winter 
home.  It  has  always  been  a  delightful  Summer  abode.  New 
fences  have  also  been  built  and  cement  walks  have  been 
placed  where  needed  around  the  house.  A  bath  room  has 
also  been  installed.  During  the  Summer  of  1907  extensive 
repairs  and  improvements  were  made  at  the  church.  The 
work  was  begun  in  August  and  completed  in  time  for  the 
Thanksgiving  service  the  following  November.  At  this 
time  the  four  stoves  were  replaced  by  a  steam  heating  plant. 
The  walls  were  refrescoed,  and  a  new  carpet  placed  on  the 
floor.  The  memorial  windows  were  put  in  at  this  time. 
I  want  to  call  attention  to  the  one  at  my  right  which  the 
children    helped   to   purchase.     They    came   bringing   their 


PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCHES  67 

pennies  and  when  they  were  put  together  they  made  a 
nice  sum.  It  cost  $135.  During  the  Summer  of  1913  over 
$450  was  raised  to  replace  the  boiler  and  radiators  which 
had  not  been  giving  satisfaction.  More  than  three  hundred 
dollars  have  also  been  raised  by  the  people  of  Dry  Run  for 
repairs  on  the  hall.  The  individual  communion  set  was 
used  for  the  first  time  in  May,  1915.  The  congregation  in 
1896  adopted  the  hymnal  published  by  our  board. 

It  gives  me  great  pleasure  in  this  connection  to  state 
that  Mrs.  Bell  West  Jennings,  daughter  of  Dr.  West,  has 
desired  to  give  us  a  baptismal  font  in  memory  of  her  father 
and  mother,  as  they  were  both  so  fond  of  children.  This 
is  a  kind  thought  on  the  part  of  Mrs.  Jennings,  and  we  are 
very  glad  as  a  congregation  to  accept  it.  We  hope  it  may 
ever  keep  Dr.  West  and  his  wife  fresh  in  the  minds  of  the 
people  of  Path  Valley. 

We  can  not  call  attention  to  any  remarkable  revival 
season,  as  has  been  noted  in  each  of  the  preceding  pas- 
torates, yet  the  Holy  Spirit  has  not  been  withheld  from  us. 
He  has  been  working  in  his  quiet,  continuous  and  gracious 
manner,  to  such  an  extent  that  we  have  had  accessions  at 
every  communion  service  at  the  church  except  two.  In 
1908  we  reported  to  Presbytery  46  additions  to  the  roll 
and  in  1915  we  reported  40.  These  were  received  on  con- 
fession of  their  faith.  During  the  present  pastorate  of 
eleven  years  and  six  months  262  have  been  added  to  the 
church.  There  have  been  170  baptisms  and  75  marriages. 
Dr.  McGinley  spoke  of  the  depletion  of  the  membership  in 
his  pastorate,  each  of  the  succeeding  pastors  have  called 

attention  to  the  same.     In  the  Spring  of  75  removed 

to  the  Northwest.  At  this  time  Elder  Wilson  H.  Coons 
with  his  family  left  to  make  their  home  in  North  Dakota. 
This  depletion  has  gone  on  in  the  same  manner  during  the 
present  pastorate.  Our  Heavenly  Father  has  been  calling 
into  their  eternal  home  many  of  our  number  and  while  we 
sadly  miss  them,  we  rejoice  in  their  final  victory  through 
Christ.  In  this  connection  I  would  note  the  deaths  that 
have  occurred  in  the  eldership  : 

Mr.  John  Wolff  was  called  from  our  midst  January  5, 
1907.  He  was  elected  clerk  of  session  March  27,  1887, 
which  office  he  faithfully  filled  until  failing  health  com- 
pelled him  to  resign  September  27,  1906.  He  always  gave 
his  best  service  to  the  church  and  was  faithful  and  prompt 
in  the  discharge  of  his  duties.  His  consistent  Christianity 
won  the  respect  of  all  who  knew  him. 


68  HISTORY  OF  PATH   VALLEY 

Thomas  B.  Gaston,  the  last  of  the  elders  elected  in  1871, 
died  June  28,  1907.  He  came  to  his  grave  in  a  ripe  old  age, 
rioted  for  his  kindness  of  heart  and  loving  service  to  the 
church. 

Joseph  French  was  the  first  of  the  elders  elected  in  1904 
to  be  called  from  us  by  death,  which  occurred  December  17, 
1914.  He  was  a  man  of  prayer  and  showed  his  faith  in  his 
life.  He  has  left  us  a  Godly  example  which  we  will  do  well 
to  follow. 

George  W.  Shearer  was  called  into  his  reward  May  20, 
1916.  He  was  the  son  of  Jacob  Shearer,  who  was  elected 
elder  in  1839.  Like  his  father,  he  was  superintendent  of 
the  Willow  Hill  Sunday  School  for  many  years.  His  funeral 
services  were  held  in  the  house  where  he  was  born  and  the 
text.  Acts  11:24,  was  the  same  as  that  used  at  the  funeral 
of  his  father  fifty  years  before.  He  was  a  man  of  unassum- 
ing piety,  respected  and  loved  by  all  who  knew  him. 

Elders  at  present :  W.  M.  Alexander,  J.  C.  Burk,  Lemuel 
Burk,  E.  Newton  Kirkpatrick,  J.  D.  Stitt,  A.  M.  Brenize, 
W.  W.  Culbertson,  and  D.  O.  Shearer — the  latter  being 
Clerk  of  Session. 

On  Sabbath  November  19th,  six  additional  elders  were 
elected,  as  follows :  J.  H.  Clymans,  J.  Mac.  Wolff,  W.  Wr. 
Shearer,  Geo.  M.  Shetler,  Frank  Magee  and  J.  C.  Skinner. 

The  Trustees  of  the  church  are :  Geo.  M.  Shetler,  O.  I). 
Gary,  Jno.  Nimmon,  J.  F.  Burk  and  Frank  Magee. 

Many  have  gone  North,  South,  East  and  West,  seeking 
new  homes.  We  have  sent  letters  of  dismissal  to  Florida, 
to  Canada,  to  New  Jersey  and  to  California  as  well  as  to 
nearly  every  State  in  the  Union.  Our  sons  and  daughters 
are  gracing  to-day  almost  every  profession  and  business 
in  the  localities  where  they  have  gone.  Sometimes  parents 
coming  back  to  visit  the  home  of  their  childhood  bring  with 
them  their  infants  to  be  baptized  in  the  old  church.  Re- 
cently I  baptized  a  child  born  in  Montana,  and  another,  a 
descendant  of  Randal  Alexander,  born  in  Spain.  May  God's 
blessing  rest  upon  those  who  have  gone  out  from  amongst 
us  and  may  their  dear  old  church  continue  to  send  out  a 
stream  of  young  life  to  the  glory  of  God  the  Father,  and 
may  we  who  remain  here,  inspired  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  give 
ourselves  in  loving  service  to  Christ  and  his  church. 

D.  I.  CAMP. 


PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCHES 


69 


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Manse  of  the  U.  P.   V.  Church 

Near  Dry  Run 


HISTORY  OF  LOWER  CHURCH  FROM   1851-1916. 


The  first  pastor  in  the  Lower  Church  and  Burnt  Cab- 
ins congregation  was  the  Rev.  L.  W.  Williams,  who  was 
called  September  27,  1851.  He  commenced  his  labors  Octo- 
ber, 1851.  For  some  reason  not  made  a  matter  of  record 
he  was  not  installed  until  June  3,  1853.  The  committee  from 
Presbytery  which  installed  the  new  pastor,  who  was  the 
first  pastor  of  the  lower  part  of  the  once  combined  church, 
was  Rev.  D.  D.  Clarke,  D.  D.,  and  Rev.  Thomas  Creigh. 
D.  D.  Burnt  Cabins,  now  a  separate  organization,  was  to 
have  one-third  of  the  pastor's  time,  and  the  Lower  Path 
Valley  congregation  two-thirds  time.  Elders  elected  during 
his  pastorate  were  Mr.  Barnabas  Wilhelm  and  John  W. 
Witherow. 

Mr.  Williams  was  a  vigorous  man  and  an  able  public 
speaker.  I  am  informed  by  the  few  who  recall  his  ministry 
that  he  was  a  powerful  preacher  of  righteousness.  He  lived 
in  the  house  occupied  by  Mrs.  Tice  and  Frank  Edmondson, 
which  Rev.  Mr.  Gordon  afterward  purchased  and  which 
still  is  the  property  of  the  Gordon  family. 


70  HISTORY   OF   PATH   VALLEY 

Mr.  Williams  conducted  a  private  academy  in  Fannetts- 
burg.    One  of  his  pupils  was  the  Rev.  John  Wilhelm. 

From  the  Obituary  Records  of  Carlisle  Presbytery  we 
glean  the  following: 

Mr.  Williams  was  born  at  Bellefonte,  Centre  County,  Pa., 
January  29,  1807.  At  nineteen  years  of  age  he  united  with 
the  Presbyterian  Church.  His  father  having  died  he  gave 
himself  to  the  support  of  his  mother  and  the  younger 
children.  His  educational  advantages  were  few,  but  having 
a  verv  bright  mind  and  strong  will  he  was  able  to  fit  him- 
self for  teaching  at  the  age  of  nineteen  years.  Early  in  life 
he  manifested  a  desire  to  enter  the  ministry,  but  the  respon- 
sibilities of  home  prevented  his  going  to  Princeton  College 
until  he  was  27  years  of  age.  His  other  brothers  who  now 
were  comfortably  settled  in  business,  encouraged  him  to 
secure  the  necessary  education.  Nor  was  he  ungrateful  to 
them  for  the  aid  given.  In  1839  he  graduated  from  Prince- 
ton Seminary.  But  the  struggle  against  adverse  circum- 
stances was  such  as  to  seriously  impair  his  health. 

His  first  charge  was  at  Indiana,  Pa.,  where  he  labored 
with  great  success  until  a  serious  breakdown  compelled  him 
to  go"  South  for  his  health.  He  then  became  a  Professor  in 
Washington  College,  Tennessee,  and  married  Miss  Mary 
Thompson,  of  Pittsburgh,  Pa.  His  wife's  health  breaking 
down  they  return  to  Pittsburgh  in  1845. 

After  his  first  wife's  death  he  spent  two  years  as  stated 
supply  of  the  church  at  West  Greenville,  Pa.,  but  did  not 
accept  their  call  to  the  pastorate. 

Having  married  Miss  Caroline  Larimore,  of  Ohio,  he  ac- 
cepted the  call  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  Hollidays- 
burp-,  Pa.  Here  he  opened  a  female  seminary.  One  of  his 
children  died  during  this  pastorate  and  is  buried  at  Holli- 
daysburg. 

Coming  to  the  Lower  Path  Valley  Church  in  1851  he 
labored  in  the  ministry  of  reconciliation  with  great  power 
and  good  success.  He  was  severe  in  his  denunciation  of 
evil  and  probably  not  as  diplomatic  as  a  minister  ought  to 
be  in  battling  against  the  forces  of  evil.  But  his  preaching, 
like  good  seed,  had  its  fruitage  and  what  he  pled  and  fought 
for  is  now  our  common  heritage. 

In  April,  1855,  the  pastoral  relations  were  dissolved  in 
order  that  Mr.  Williams  might  accept  a  call  to  the  Center 
and  Upper  Presbyterian  Churches.  These  churches  are 
located  in  Sherman's  Valley  adjoining  Path  Valley,  settled 
under  like  conditions  and  having  organized  a  church  in  the 
same  year  as  our  own.     They  were  not  able,  however,  to 


PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCHES  71 

maintain  their  hold  as  have  the  Path  Valley  Churches  and 
grew  weaker  in  numbers  while  our  own  church  has  increased 
in  numbers  as  the  years  roll  by. 

His  pastorate  here  was  also  of  short  duration,  1855-1857, 
when  the  summons  of  God  called  him  into  the  "City  not 
made  with  hands  eternal  in  the  heavens." 

The  last  sermon  he  preached  was  from  the  text,  "Without 
holiness  no  man  shall  see  the  Lord."  He  died  May  7,  1857, 
at  the  age  of  fifty  years  and  his  remains  were  tenderly  laid 
in  the  Presbyterian  cemetery  at  Center  Church.  Rev.  Mr. 
McCachran,  of  Newville,  preached  the  sermon  at  Landis- 
burg,  and  Rev.  Mr.  Craig,  of  Bloomsburg,  had  charge  of  the 
services  at  Center  Church. 

In  July,  1855,  Mr.  Watson  Russell,  a  licentiate  of  Done- 
gal Presbytery,  was  called  as  a  supply  to  fill  the  vacant 
pulpit.  Both  pastor  and  people  had  in  view  his  settlement 
as  pastor.  Accordingly  a  call  was  made  out  to  him  but  the 
pastoral  relationship  never  being  constituted  he  resigned  as 
stated  supply  March  29,  185"  Presbytery  then  supplied 
the  people  with  preaching  until  October,  1857. 


Rev.  J.  Smith  Gordon. 

Few  ministers  in  any  church  have  the  distinction  of  as 
long  pastoral  experience  in  one  church  as  marked  the  min- 
istry of  the  Reverend  J.  Smith  Gordon.  For  nearly  half  a 
century  he  served  his  people  in  the  Lower  Path  Valley 
Church  with  consecrated  ability.  One  of  his  brethren  in 
speaking  of  his  eventful  life  said :  "The  secret  of  Mr.  Gor- 
don's marked  ability  to  sustain  himself  throughout  this 
long  pastorate  is  to  be  found  largely  in  the  fact  that  he  was 
a  scholarly  man  and  student.  Amid  the  arduous  labors 
of  his  field  he  heeded  well  the  injunction,  'Give  attention 
to  reading,'  and  down  to  the  end  of  his  life  kept  well  abreast 
with  what  was  transpiring  in  the  theological,  political,  so- 
cial, and  literary  worlds." 

He  was  born  August  18,  1829,  within  the  bounds  of  Carlisle 
Presbytery,  near  Greencastle,  Pa.  His  father,  Mr.  Alex- 
ander Gordon,  was  an  elder  in  the  Greencastle  Church  and 
his  relatives  still  living  there  are  honored  members  of  the 
church.  After  studying  in  the  local  schools  he  went  to  Mt. 
Holly  Academy,  N.  J.,  and  thence  to  Princeton  University 
and  Princeton  Seminary,  from  which  institutions  he  grad- 
uated.    His  purpose  was  to  become  a   foreign  missionary 


72  HISTORY  OF   PATH   VALLEY 


REV.   J.    SMITH    GORDON 

Pastor  of  Lower   Path   Valley   and 

Burnt    Cabins    Churches 

1858-1904 


but,  providentially  hindered,  he  took  up  his  cross  and  fol- 
lowed his  Master  in  loving,  humble  service  in  the  field 
which  first  engaged  his  service  and  attention. 

In  October,  1857,  an  invitation  was  given  to  Mr.  Gordon, 
who  was  a  licentiate  of  Carlisle  Presbytery,  to  visit  the 
church  and  preach  as  a  supply.  Neither  Mr.  Gordon  nor  the 
people  thought  of  a  permanent  relationship.  The  first  had 
his  eyes  set  on  the  great  harvest  field  beyond  the  borders 
of  this  county,  and  the  latter  felt  it  would  be  impossible  to 
secure  his  services  as  pastor.  But  a  Kindly  Providence 
hindered  the  plans  of  Mr.  Gordon  to  the  great  joy  of  a  con- 
gregation waiting  and  praying  for  a  leader.  Mr.  Gordon 
preached  his  first  sermon  to  this  people  on  November  1, 
1857,  and  soon  after  he  was  asked  to  supply  them  until  the 
Spring  meeting  of  Presbytery,  which  he  consented  to  do. 
The  congregation  on  April  3,  1858,  made  out  a  unanimous 
call  for  his  pastoral  services.  Mr.  West,  of  the  Upper 
Church,  moderated  the  congregational  meeting. 

After  prayerful  consideration  this  call  was  accepted  and 
on  June  17,  1858,  at  an  adjourned  meeting  of  Presbytery, 
held  in  the  Lower  Path  Valley  Church,  he  was  ordained 


PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCHES  73 

and  installed  pastor  of  the  Lower  Path  Valley  Church  and 
the  church  at  Burnt  Cabins.  This  happy  relation  existed 
for  a  period  of  forty-six  years. 

Doctor  Creigh,  of  Mercersburg,  always  a  warm  friend  of 
our  people,  presided  over  the  Presbytery,  proposed  the  con- 
stitutional questions  and  made  the  prayer  of  installation. 
Rev.  L.  S.  Fine  preached  the  sermon;  Rev.  j.  S.  Henderson 
gave  the  charge  to  the  pastor,  and  Rev.  J.  K.  Kramer  the 
charge  to  the  people. 

Rev.  Gordon  in  writing  of  that  period  says :  "The  elders 
were  ten  in  number  and  the  trustees  seven.  The  member- 
ship of  the  church  numbered  one  hundred  and  twenty-five." 
This  did  not  include  the  members  of  the  Burnt  Cabins  con- 
gregation. From  the  years  1858-1885  there  were  added  to 
the  membership  238  new  members  and  Mr.  Gordon  of- 
ficiated at  three  hundred  funerals  and  performed  one  hun- 
dred and  ten  marriages. 

Then  we  see  that  notwithstanding  the  many  removals 
from  the  bounds  of  the  congregation  in  1885  there  were  one 
hundred  and  fifty-eight  members  in  the  church  at  Fannetts- 
burg  and  about  fifty  at  Burnt  Cabins.  There  were  very  few 
communion  seasons  when  there  were  not  additions  to  the 
membership.  In  those  twenty-seven  years  the  charitable 
and  benevolent  offerings  amounted  to  over  seven  thousand 
five  hundred  dollars.  Since  1885  until  Mr.  Gordon's  death 
there  were  eighty-four  more  additions  to  the  membership, 
making  all  told,  three  hundred  and  twenty-two  additions 
as  a  result  of  his  ministry  or  over  four  hundred  including 
the  members  added  to  the  Burnt  Cabins  Church.  This 
proof  of  his  ministry  must  have  been  a  great  joy  to  his  heart. 
Dr.  West,  who  prepared  the  obituary  of  Mr.  Gordon,  said : 
"As  a  man.  a  citizen,  a  neighbor,  a  friend,  none  could  have 
been  more  highly  esteemed  than  was  Mr.  Gordon."  He  was 
the  faithful  treasurer  of  Presbytery  for  many  years. 

Mr.  Gordon  was  twice  married.  His  first  wife  was  Miss 
Mary  Catherine  Montgomery,  daughter  of  James  Mont- 
gomery, M.  D.,  then  practicing  medicine  at  Fannettsburg,  to 
whom  he  was  married  December  12,  1860.  This  union  was 
of  short  duration,  Mrs.  Gordon  died  October  23,  1864,  leav- 
ing one  child,  now  the  Rev.  James  A.  Gordon,  D.  D.,  of. 
Winona  Lake,  Indiana. 

His  second  wife  was  Miss  Margaret  B.  Kyle,  of  Fannetts- 
burg, to  whom  he  was  married  May  29,  1867,  and  by  whom 
he  was  the  father  of  three  sons,  Clarence  M.,  Ph.  D.,  Pro- 
fessor in  Lafayette  College;  Donald,  who  was  drowned 
when  a  student  at  Centre  College,  in  attempting  to  rescue 
a  drowning  fellow  student,  and  John,  now  practicing  medi- 


74  HISTORY  OF   PATH   VALLEY 

cine  in  Chambersburg.  There  were  also  two  daughters, 
Mary,  living'  with  her  mother  in  Fannettsburg,  and  Clemen- 
tine, wife  of  William  McAllen,  of  Glencoe,  near  Chicago,  111. 
During  his  pastorate  a  Ladies'  Missionary  Association 
was  organized.  The  first  meeting  was  held  in  the  Public 
Hall  which  stood  on  the  school  grounds.  From  the  first 
meeting,  for  organization,  December  10,  1880,  to  the  pres- 
ent day  this  society  has  very  effectually  promoted  the  cause 
of  Home  and  Foreign  Missions.  The  first  officers  were : 
Miss  Margaret  Park,  President ;  Miss  Emily  Wilson,  Sec- 
retary; Miss  Jennie  Harris,  Treasurer.  The  present  officers 
are:  President,  Mrs.  W.  B.  Gordon;  Vice  President,  Mrs. 
J.  W.  Kaufman;  Secretary,  Miss  Lucy  B.  Noble;  Treasurer, 
Miss  Mary  B.  Gordon. 

In  August  of  1889  the  Christian  Endeavor  Society  was 
organized  with  about  fifty  members.  The  officers  were : 
President,  Mr.  J.  H.  Typer;  Secretary,  Miss  Lulu  Hudson; 
Corresponding  Secretary,  Helen  Elliott ;  Treasurer,  Mr.  R. 
Beard  Davis. 

The  present  officers  are :  Harold  Bair,  President ;  Helen 
McCurdy,  Vice  President;  Gwendolyn  Kent,  Secretary; 
Emma  Kegerreis,  Assistant  Secretary;  Prof.  C.  B.  Neil, 
Corresponding  Secretary;  Ella  McCurdy,  Treasurer;  Maude 
Kegerreis,  and  Gail  Walker,  Organists ;  Guy  McCurdy  and 
Leslie  Park,  Librarians. 

The  Sunday  School  is  the  oldest  organization  in  our 
church.  No  careful  records  were  kept  in  the  early  days, 
but  Mr.  Gordon,  writing  in  1878,  says:  "The  school  in 
town  has  been  in  operation  for  half  a  century  or  more  and 
has  uniformly,  I  believe,  been  kept  open  during  the  whole 
year."  So  in  this  year  of  grace  our  school  is  upwards  of 
ninety  years  of  age  and  is  growing  in  power  and  usefulness 
with  years.  A  large  proportion  of  those  who  have  entered 
the  membership  during  my  pastorate  have  come  up  from 
the  Sunday  School.  Among  former  superintendents  men- 
tioned at  our  anniversary  were  such  able  leaders  as  Mr. 
Jas.  B.  Seibert  and  George  W.  Park. 

The  present  Superintendent  is  Prof.  D.  F.  McCurdy. 
The  other  officers  are  as  follows  :  Assistant,  Mr.  O.  M.  Park  ; 
Secretarv,  Mr.  Thomas  M.  Miller;  Assistant  Secretary,  Mr. 
Harold  Bair;  Treasurer,  Mr.  S.  E.  Walker;  Organists,  Miss 
Louise  Wineman,  Gail  Walker  and  Mary  Neil.  Through 
the  able  management  of  Prof.  McCurdy  our  school  has 
attained  first  rank  and  is  looked  upon  as  being  one  of  the 
ablest  managed  schools  in  the  county. 

Several  of  the  speakers  at  our  anniversary  referred  in 
touching  terms  to  the  life  and  work  of  Mr.   Gordon  and 


PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCHES  75 

though  it  was, not  my  privilege  to  know  him  personally 
I  feel,  that  having  entered  into  his  labors,  a  love  and  rever- 
ation  for  his  life  and  character.  His  work  was  well  done. 
The  church  which  he  built,  the  souls  he  led  to  Christ  and  the 
life  he  lived  speaks  to  us  to-day.  Let  us  carry  forward  the 
uncompleted  task  and  honor  his  memory  by  our  lives  of 
service  and  devotion  to  the  Lord  whom  he  served. 


PRESBYTERIAN    MANSE 
Fannettsburg,   Pa. 


76 


HISTORY  OF   PATH   VALLEY 


REV.    THOS,  p.    BAXTER 

Paster    L.    P.    V.    Church 

1005-1 90S 


Thomas  George  Baxter,  the  third  pastor,  was  born  on  a 
farm  near  Slaughter,  Kent  Co.,  Delaware,  November  30, 
1871.  His  mother  died  when  he  was  six  years  old  and  his 
father  when  he  was  nine  years  of  age.  Early  he  was  forced 
to  depend  upon  his  own  resources.  At  twenty  he  was  teach- 
ing public  school,  which  profession  he  followed  for  several 
years,  being  principal  of  Kenton,  Delaware,  schools  1894- 
1895,  and  principal  of  Newark,  Del.,  schools  for  several 
years.  After  graduating  from  the  public  schools  he  entered 
Washington  College,  Maryland,  but  withdrew  to  teach  sev- 
eral years.  Later  he  entered  Delaware  College,  but  answer- 
ing his  country's  call  in  1898,  he  enlisted  as  a  private  in 
First  Delaware  Regiment,  thus  delaying  his  graduation  until 
1901.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he  was  honorably  discharged 
with  the  rank  of  quartermaster's  sergeant.  During  the 
session  of  the  General  Assembly  of  Delaware  in  1899  Mr. 
Baxter  was  Reading  Clerk  of  the  Senate.  He  has  the  dis- 
tinction of  having  "worked  his  way  through  college,"  hav- 


PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCHES  77 

ing  assisted  in  the  dining-  rooms  to  provide  himself  with  a 
liberal  education.  From  college  annals  we  find  he  was 
President  of  the  College  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  President  of  the  Press 
Association,  President  of  Athletic  Association,  Editor  of 
the  College  Review,  Class  Orator,  and  as  one  of  his  en- 
thusiastic college  admirers  says,  the  '"greatest  orator  in 
Delaware  College." 

Those  of  us  who  knew  him  can  account  for  these  many 
positions  of  honor  because  of  his  irrepressible  enthusiasm, 
ardent  zeal  and  sincerity. 

He  resigned  a  position  as  Principal  of  Schools  to  enter 
Princeton  Seminary,  and  graduating  in  1905,  he  immediately 
accepted  the  call  of  the  Lower  Path  Valley  congregation. 
Here  again  he  threw  his  whole  life  into  his  work.  Soon  he 
enthused  life  into  our  discouraged  church.  Fifty-two  mem- 
bers were  received  into  the  membership  at  Fannettsburg 
and  twenty-seven  at  Burnt  Cabins.  The  church  was  ex- 
tensively repaired  and  a  beautiful  new  manse  constructed 
during  his  short  pastorate. 

Having  received  a  call  from  the  Pine  Grove  Church, 
Westminster  Presbytery  (his  present  field  of  labor),  Mr. 
Baxter  resigned  the  pastorate  of  these  churches  October  4, 
1908.  Having  done  so  much  both  materially  and  spiritually 
for  our  Zion  we  were  loathe  to  see  him  depart. 

Session  passed  the  following  minute :  "We  deeply  regret 
the  apparent  necessity  of  such  action  (the  resignation). 
Resolved,  that  his  earnest  and  energetic  work  whilst  among 
us  has  greatly  endeared  him  to  the  entire  congregation  and 
call  for  him  the  highest  encomium  of  the  whole  community." 

Rev.  Baxter  has  been  at  Sunnyburn  eight  years  and 
during  that  time  has  seen  140  members  added  to  the  mem- 
bership of  his  church.  His  salary  has  been  increased  sev- 
eral times  and  he  has  had  the  joy  of  organizing  a  new 
church  at  Holtwood.  Here  a  beautiful  new  church  has 
been  erected  under  his  supervision  and  the  Lord  has  given 
many  other  instances  of  the  Divine  approval. 


78 


HISTORY  OF   PATH   VALLEY 


PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH 

Burnt  Cabins,  Pa. 


BURNT  CABINS  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH. 


This  church  is  a  child  of  the  Lower  Path  Valley  Church. 
From  the  bounds  of  the  mother  congregation  her  children 
pressed  westward  over  the  Tuscarora  Mountains,  on  roads 
no  more  than  trails,  until  they  reached  the  fertile  Aughwick 
Valley.  Here  to-day  are  found  descendants  bearing  names 
of  many  of  these  original  settlers. 

We  were  not  able  to  find  the  date  of  the  first  preaching 
by  Presbyterian  ministers  in  that  new  settlement.  But  it  is 
likely  that  as  early  as  the  visit  of  the  Rev.  George  Duffield 
(1766)  these  scattered  settlers  occasionally  heard  the  Word 
of  God.  Dr.  West  is  authority  for  the  statement  that  Rev. 
David  Denny  frequently  preached  "across  the  Tuscarora 
mountains  in  Augwick  Valley,  both  in  the  vicinity  of  Burnt 
Cabins  and  in  the  bounds  of  what  is  now  the  Shade  Gap 
congregation."    His  pastorate  extended  from  1794-1800. 

Mr.  James  Cree,  Jr.,  writing  under  date  of  1876,  says: 
"]  can  recollect  him  (Rev.  A.  A.  McGinley)  preach  when 
I  was  a  boy,  in  Grandfather  Walker's  orchard  under  the 
apple  trees,  sometimes  in  barns  and  houses.  Not  until  the 
year   1832  was  there  a  regular  appointment   for  worship. 


PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCHES  79 

At  that  time  Rev.  McGinley,  every  four  weeks  after  the 
morning"  sermon  in  the  Lower  Path  Valley  Church,  would 
cross  the  mountain  on  horseback,  using  the  old  trail,  and 
preach  a  sermon  at  the  Cree  schoolhouse. 

For  a  period  then  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-two  years 
the  ministers  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  have  occasionally 
preached  at  or  near  Burnt  Cabins  and  for  eighty  years  there 
have  been  regular  and  stated  times  for  worship. 

The  first  elder  elected  to  represent  this  congregation  in 
the  session  of  the  Lower  church  was  David  Walker.  His 
successors  were  James  Cree,  St.,  James  Walker,  William 
Campbell,  Daniel  Brown,  James  Cree,  Jr.,  John  B.  Peterson, 
Wm.  Mathias,*  Wm.  A.  Montague,*  A.  Putnam  Doran,* 
John  L.  Kope.* 

The  present  church  edifice  was  the  first  and  only  build- 
ing. This  was  dedicated  to  the  worship  of  Almighty  God 
on  Christmas  day,  1851.  But  long  before  this  date  services 
were  held  in  the  Cree  schoolhouse.  This  building  was 
located  on  a  plot  of  ground  opposite  the  farm  residence  of 
Clinton  Mathias  near  Decorum.  The  people,  however, 
journeyed  over  the  mountain  to  worship  in  the  old  log 
church  and  afterwards  to  the  "White  Church"  across  from 
the  Presbyterian  cemetery  near  Fannettsburg.  Then  it  did 
not  seem  a  hardship  to  journey  seven  miles  or  more  to 
church. 

One  of  our  old  members  told  me  recently  of  her  recollec- 
tions of  those  trips  across  the  mountain  and  of  Mr.  James 
Cree,  Sr.,  bringing  his  family  Bible  wrapped  carefully  in  a 
large  red  bandana  handkerchief  to  the  Cree  schoolhouse  for 
the  use  of  the  pastor  in  the  worship. 

No  record  of  church  membership  was  kept  by  Rev. 
McGinley  nor  his  predecessors  and  we  do  not  know  the 
number  of  members  until  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  Gordon. 
Since  that  time  to  the  present  there  have  been  in  the  mem- 
bership of  this  church  three  hundred  and  twenty  members. 
The  present  membership  is  seventy-two,  which  appears  to 
be  the  high  water  mark  so  far  as  numerical  strength.  Many 
of  her  stalwart  sons  and  daughters  have  gone  out  from  this 
church  to  bless  the  communion  into  which  their  lot  was. 
cast. 

The  Sunday  School  for  long  years  was  Union,  but  our 
Methodist  brethren,  who  came  in  at  a  later  date,  wished' 
for  autonomy  and  organized  an  M.  E.  school,  thus  breaking 
up  the  one  strong  organization  into  two  weak  schools.  Mr.. 
John  Peterson  was  the  first  superintendent  of  our  school. 


*  Elders  now  serving. 


80  HISTORY  OF   PATH   VALLEY 

The  present  superintendent  is  his  son.  Lazarus  Zetter,  John 
Kope  and  A.  Putnam  Doran  have  also  served  in  this 
capacity. 

Former  Trustees— Jamison  Kelly,  John  Welt,  Jonathan 
Or,  Walker  Cree,  Lazarus  Yetter,  Harry  Foreman,  Harry 
Clymans,  Mr.  Lauthers. 

The  trustees  now  serving  are  J.  Curtin  Peterson,  Clinton 
Mathias,  Alvin  Peterson,  Harry  Forman,  John  Kope. 

The  pastors  serving-  this  part  of  the  congregation  have 
been : 

Rev.  David  Denny,  1794-1800. 

Rev.  Amos  A.  McGinley,  1803-1851. 

Rev.  Lewis  Williams,   1851-1855. 

Rev.  Watson  Russel,  1855-1857;  supply  only. 

Rev.  J.  Smith  Gordon,  1858-1904. 

Rev.  Thos.  G.  Baxter,  1905-1908. 

Rev.  L.  C.  Wainwright,  1909-1912. 

Rev.  J.  Warren  Kaufman,  1913- 

The  "history  in  general  of  the  Lower  Path  Valley  Church 
is  the  history  of  your  church.  You  have  a  heritage  to  prize. 
Be  brave,  heroic  and  self-sacrificing  as  were  your  forbears 
and  serve  your  day  as  they  served  theirs.  There  is  yet 
much  land  to  be  possessed  and  though  our  organization  is 
not  strong  in  numbers  we  have  much  potential  strength. 
Let  us  go  in  and  possess  the  land.  Hitherto  the  Lord  has 
been  our  Helper.    He  will  help  us  still. 

K. 


PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCHES 


81 


REV.    L.    C.    WAINWRIGHT 

Pastor    Lower    Path    Valley    and 

Burnt    Cabins    Churches 

1910-1912 


BIOGRAPHY 


Louis  C.  Wainwright,  Pastor  at  Fannettsburg,  Pa.,  From 
February,  1910,  to  September,  1912. 

Born  in  Princess  Anne,  the  old  Colonial  county  town  of 
Somerset  County,  Maryland.  Reared  in  the  Manokin  Pres- 
byterian Church,  which  is  one  of  three  constituting  the 
McKensie  group.  His  grandfather  was  an  elder  in  this 
church  and  the  grandfather  on  his  mother's  side  was  born 
before  the  Revolutionary  War. 

Early  education  was  in  Princess  Anne  Academy,  whence 
he  entered  college  and  graduated  after  two  years.  Principal 
of  Langier  High  School  and  also  of  the  North  Milford 
(Del.)  High  School. 

Under  conviction  that  he  should  preach  the  gospel  he 
resigned  his  position  and  entered  Princeton.  After  gradu- 
ation he  went  West,  where  he  was  permitted  to  build  a 
church.  Returning  thence  was  located  at  Tamaqua,  Pa., 
whence  after  marriage  to  Mary  A.  Gulden,  of  Pottsville, 
Pa.,  he  removed  to  Lewes,  Del.,  where  the  larger  part  of 
his  pastorate  was  spent  in  a  congenial  and  prospered  work. 


82 


HISTORY  OF   PATH   VALLEY 


His  children,  three,  were  all  born  at  Lewes,  Del.  After 
resigning  this  charge  he  spent  a  little  while  in  the  West 
and  rapidly  regained  health. 

Upon  receiving  a  call  from  Greenwich,  New  Jersey,  he 
returned  and  entered  upon  an  ample  field  of  labor.  From 
this  field  he  removed  to  Fannettsburg,  Pa.,  entering  upon 
that  work  February  6,  1910. 

Though  the  duration  of  this  pastorate  was  brief,  it  was 
one  of  goodly  outlook  and  of  many  friends.  The  vision  of 
enlarged  work  extending  through  the  valley  was  ever  lur- 
ing and  the  prospect  assuming.  The  time  was  not  ripe,  but 
the  prospect  seemed  certain.  It  is  with  a  glad  interest  that 
this  strong  work  and  farther  reach  is  recognized  as  almost 
an  immediate  thing. 


PROF.    D.    P.    McCURDY 
Supt.  L..  P.  V.  Sunday  School 


PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCHES  83 


SESQUI-CENTENNIAL  ADDRESS 


Rev.  L.  C.  Wainwright 

After  congratulations  extended  to  the  congregation  upon 
the  grand  old  history  of  the  church,  its  line  of  noble  pastors, 
and  the  long  pastorates,  the  blessed  results  accruing  from 
faithful  labors,  the  excellent  sesqui-centennial  program, 
also,  and  its  inspiring  services,  the  subject  of  address  was: 
"The  Lower  Path  Valley  Church — The  Look  Backward ; 
the  Look  Forward,  and  the  Look  Upward." 

Looking  back  over  the  past  one  hundred  and  fifty 
years,  you  properly  have  a  just  pride  in  the  achievements 
of  Godly  efforts  and  in  the  noble  ministry  with  which  those 
years  were  blessed. 

With  labor  and  zeal  the  valley  was  claimed  and  subdued 
unto  cultivation,  and  with  labor  and  zeal  it  was  claimed 
also  for  our  Lord  Jesus  and  subdued  under  the  blessings 
of  His  glorious  gospel;  for  those  early  settlers  were  men 
of  convictions  and  held  dear  both  the  privileges  of  an 
earthly  liberty  and  also  its  glad  origins,  the  liberty  of  the 
children  of  God. 

They  believed  that  industry  would  be  crowned  with 
earthly  benefits,  and  also  that  Christian  labors  would  be 
fruitful  in  spiritual  benefits.  They  believed  that  however 
needful  the  things  of  earth,  that  "the  things  which  are  seen 
are  temporal,  but  that  the  things  that  are  not  seen  are 
eternal,"  wherefore  they  labored  not  only  to  claim  and  cul- 
tivate the  valley  and  the  mountain  sides  and  to  secure  these 
to  their  posterity,  but  also  to  lay  hold  on  things  everlasting 
and  to  leave  the  faith  most  precious  as  the  best  inheritance 
for  their  children.  So  it  was  they  took  the  valley  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord. 

To-day,  buttressed  with  a  noble  past,  you  the  heirs  of 
those  worthy  fathers  and  conquerors  of  an  older  day,  stand 
looking  into  the  future.  Enthused  with  the  record  of  the 
past,  perhaps  the  thought  arises,  will  to-morrow  break  as 
glorious?  But  when  we  rehearse  that  story  of  strong  men 
agone,  it  comes  to  mind  how  they  too  looked  to  the  future 
and  with  confidence  reached  forward,  assured  that  "Jesus 
Christ  is  the  same,  yesterday,  to-day,  and  forever,"  and  that 
His  gospel  changes  not,  nor  is  is  the  arm  of  the  Lord- 
shortened.  Like  them,  too,  you  may  scan  the  future  with" 
confidence,  for  you  know  the  formative  power  that  shaped 
and  ennobled  that  generation  and  saved  and  comforted  in 


84  HISTORY  OF   PATH   VALLEY 

days  past,  is  the  power  that  is  strong-  to  shape  this  and  com- 
ing generations,  to  lift  up  and  make  strong  and  to  set  their 
feet  on  living  paths. 

The  outlook  is  one  of  brightness,  because  the  "Sun  of 
Righteousness  knows  no  declension  and  health  and  healing 
are  in  his  wings." 

Wherefore,  to-day,  there  is  a  call  to  enter  zealously  upon 
Christian  labors,  for  the  present  is  yours.  The  present, 
born  of  the  past  and  front  of  the  future,  is  yours.  Its  work 
and  labor  of  love  is  yours,  and  that  you  may  be  strong  to 
labor,  wise  in  activity  and  comforted  in  trial,  the  upward 
look  is  for  you — "Looking  unto  Jesus,  the  Author  and  Per- 
fector  of  your  faith." 

But  the  present  is  always  the  time  of  pressure  felt.  The 
present  is  the  time  when  the  burden  is  heavy,  when  the  heart 
is  worn,  when  the  bodily  frame  is  bowed  under  the  strain. 
The  present  is  the  time  when  conflict  is  more  than  words 
of  portrayal  and  the  battle  clash  sounds  in  the  ear  and  the 
edge  of  the  sword  is  drawn  across  the  quivering  flesh.  The 
present  is  the  time  when  power  seems  flown  and  we  tremble 
and  fall  to  our  knees  in  prayer  and  tears.  And  thus  is  the 
future  bound  to  become  in  turn  a  present  conflict,  and  a 
remembered  history. 

A  gleaming  light  irradiates  the  past,  but  those  men  of  old 
had  their  day  of  the  present  with  its  toil,  its  cares,  its  an- 
guish. It  was  not  with  them  some  magic  word  and  all  was 
changed.  The  slow  magic  of  toil  and  tears  and  prayers  was 
theirs  in  their  day — and  because  they  were  strong  in  faith 
to  endure  you  are  rejoicing  to-day  over  a  noble  past. 

You,  too,  then — this  is  your  day  of  service  to  make  your 
day  glorious  as  it  passes.  And  as  you  enter  the  field,  this 
is  yours,  to  look  up  to  the  Lord  of  the  harvest  and  receive 
of  Him  wisdom,  strength  and  comfort,  that  you  may  toil  on, 
nor  be  dismayed. 

Then  look  back,  my  friends,  and  rejoice  and  be  inspired 
for  similar  work ;  look  forward  and  remember  that  Jesus  is 
the  same  to-day  and  forever.  Look  up  and  catch  a  vision 
of  the  glory  of  the  Lord  and  like  Isaiah  say  in  the  light 
of  that  vision,  Here  am  I  to  stand  in  my  day  and  to  labor 
in  the  present,  ready  for  service;  "Here  am  I  send  me." 
And  the  generations  to  come  will  turn  this  page  of  faithful 
service  and  say,  Our  fathers,  how  grandly  they  wrought  in 
the  faith !  and  He  who  knows  our  works  will  say :  "Well 
done!" 


PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCHES  85 

I  am  grateful  for  the  opportunity  to  greet  these  ancient 
Path  Valley  churches  on  this  anniversary  occasion.  Yours 
is  one  of  the  most  picturesque  and  beautiful  valleys  in  the 
old  Keystone  State.  When  your  ancestors  came  here  to 
tame  the  wilderness  they  brought  the  church  with  them. 
This  was  characteristic  of  the  Scotch-Irish  settlers  of  Penn- 
sylvania, Maryland  and  Virginia.  Wherever  they  went 
they  built  altars  of  worship.  In  that  early  day  they  began 
to  foster  religion  and  to  create  the  thrift  and  the  prosperity 
which  to-day  crowns  your  fair  mountain  valley. 

I  congratulate  you  upon  the  solid  strength  to  which  your 
churches  have  grown  under  the  fostering  care  of  pastors 
and  people  during  the  150  years  of  your  history.  And  I 
congratulate  you  upon  your  substantial  material  prosperity 
as  seen  to-day  from  one  end  of  your  valley  to  the  other. 
You  have  prospered  spiritually,  and  you  have  prospered  in 
basket  and  store.  These  two  elements  of  our  best  civiliza- 
tion usually  go  hand  in  hand.  You  have  here  demonstrated 
that  "the  meek  shall  inherit  the  earth." 


PRESENT  PASTORATE. 


Modesty  forbids  that  I  should  write  at  length  of  my  own 
work  among  you  but  that  this  history  may  be  complete 
to  date  the  following  facts  are  given. 

In  the  early  Spring  of  1913  I  preached  my  first  sermon 
in  the  L.  P.  V.  Church  and  having  accepted  the  call  of  the 
congregation  entered  upon  the  work  of  this  ministry,  May 
8,  1913,  as  stated  supply. 

At  an  adjourned  meeting  of  Presbytery  held  in  this  church 
October  14th,  1916,  the  installation  took  place.  Rev.  David 
R.  Workman,  D.  D.,  preached  the  sermon ;  Rev.  D.  I.  Camp 
moderated  the  meeting  of  Presbytery  and  proposed  the  con- 
stitutional questions ;  Rev.  Alfred  F.  Waldo,  of  Chambers- 
burg,  charged  the  pastor;  Rev.  John  Farrell,  of  Greencastle, 
charged  the  people,  and  Rev.  J.  Leonard  Hyson,  of  Lebanon, 
offered  the  prayer  of  installation ;  and  the  pastor  dismissed 
the  congregation  with  the  Apostolic  benediction. 

God  has  been  gracious  in  giving  His  approval  and  you 
have  earnestly  and  sympathetically  assisted  in  making  our 
work  pleasant  and  profitable. 


86  HISTORY  OF  PATH   VALLEY 

During  these  short  years  eighty-five  new  members  have 
been  added  to  the  church,  sixty-seven  at  Fannettsburg 
and  eighteen  at  Burnt  Cabins.  Your  pastor  has  officiated 
at  forty  funerals,  thirty  baptisms  and  six  marriages. 

A  year  ago  the  church  was  the  recipient  of  a  very  beauti- 
ful and  useful  individual  communion  service, — a  gift  from 
Mrs.  George  H.  Bartle,  in  memory  of  her  parents,  the  late 
Doctor  Flickinger  and  wife. 

Cement  walks  were  laid  and  various  other  improvements 
have  been  made,  thus  beautifying  the  church  and  the  manse. 

At  a  congregational  meeting  held  Thanksgiving  Day, 
1913,  the  following  officers  were  elected: 

Elders — Samuel  W.  Noble,  David  F.  McCurdv  and  How- 
ard Hill. 

Trustees — George  Zeigler,  Warren  W.  Wineman,  John 
A.  Shearer  and  Amos  M.  Welker. 

The  Session,  as  at  present,  consists  of:  Moderator,  Rev. 
J.  W.  Kaufman;  Clerk,  R.  D.  Cowan;  James  M.  Hill,  J. 
MacWilhelm,  A.  C.  Wilson,  O.  M.  Park,  S.  E.  Walker  and 
Elders-elect  S.  W.  Noble,  D.  F.  McCurdy,  Howard  Hill. 

A  faithful  elder,  Mr.  W.  J.  Park,  died  March  18,  1916, 
and  the  president  of  our  Trustee  Board  passed  away  April 
24,  1916. 

Present  Board  of  Trustees :  George  Zeigler,  President ; 
S.  W.  Noble,  Treasurer;  William  Umbrell,  Howard  Hill, 
W.  W.  Weinman,  J.  A.  Shearer,  A.  M.  Welker. 

Miss  Mary  B.  McCurdy,  a  most  enthusiastic  member  of 
our  church,  teacher  in  our  Sunday  School  and  Missionary 
Worker,  went  to  her  eternal  reward  June  15,  1916. 

God  has  called  many  other  faithful  ones  from  our  midst 
to  their  eternal  rest.  This  fact  should  lead  us  to  rededicate 
our  lives  to  His  service  and  work  more  zealously  for  the 
furtherance  of  His  Kingdom  among  men. 


PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCHES  87 


ELDERS   IN   THE   LOWER   CHURCH. 


John  Cunningham,  Robert  Walker,  Francis  Elliott,  Sam- 
uel Walker,  Archibald  Elliott,  David  Walker,  William 
Maclay,  Paul  Geddes,  John  Campbell,  James  Walker,  Jo- 
seph Brown,  Alexander  Walker,*  George  Elliott,*  William 
Elliott,*  James  Campbell,  James  Cree,  Sr.,  James  Cree,  Jr., 
Barnabas  Wilhelm,*  William  Campbell,  Daniel  Brown,  John 
Witherow,*  James  R.  Brewster,*  Dr.  James  Montgomery,* 
William  S.  Harris,*  Jacob  Wilhelm,*  John  H.  Walker,* 
Amos  Devor,f  I.  Mac  Montgomery,!  John  Park,f  James 
Hill,**  James  B.  Seibert,**  W.  R.  Noble,**  A.  C.  Wilson.J 
J.  Mac  Wilhelm,J  R.  D.  Cowan,J  O.  M.  Park.J  S.  E. 
Walker,3  W.  J.  Park,3  Samuel  W.  Noble,4  David  F.  Mc- 
Curdy,4  Howard  Hill.4 


TRUSTEES  IN  THE  LOWER  PATH  VALLEY 
CHURCH.f 


Charles  Campbell,  John  Park,  John  D.  Walker,  Captain 
Sam'l  Walker,  John  F.  McAllen,  A.  C.  Typer,  Francis  W. 
Elliott,  A.  C.  Wilson,  Henry  Wineman,  William  J.  Park, 
William  E.  Harris,  Dr.  E.  J.  Zook,  James  V.  Davis,  S.  O. 
McCurdy,  J.  Mac.  Wilhelm,  W.  R.  Noble,  Amos  Devor. 
James  Park,  Wm.  Park,  James  M.  Hill,  S.  A.  Gamble,  N. 
M.  Witherow,  J.  H.  Walker,  Thos.  W.  McAllen,  J.  B. 
Seibert,  George  W.  Park,  David  Flickinger.  Doctor  Elmer 
A.  Hudson,  D.  D.  Park,  R.  B.  Davis,  S.  A.  Walker,  R.  D. 
Cowan,  S.  E.  Walker,  William  Umbrell,  S.  W.  Noble,  George 
Zeigler,  D.  F.  McCurdy,  Howard  Hill,  W.  W.  Wineman, 
J.  A.  Shearer,  Amos  M.  Welker. 


*  Six   Elders  elected   February  25,   1858,  and  other  members  of 
session  then  serving, 
t  Elected  February  24,  1870. 
**  Elected  September  29,   1877. 
t  Elected   Thanksgiving    Day,    1896. 

(3)  Elected    1910. 

(4)  Elected   November  30,   1916. 


f  This  list  is  as  complete  as  the  records  make  possible. 


HISTORY   OF   PATH   VALLEY 


CHILDREN'S  LETTER. 


My  Dear  Children :  In  former  letters  I  mentioned  several 
times  the  little  country  graveyard  situated  about  half  a  mile 
distant  from  my  childhood's  home,  and  you  may  be  inter- 
ested in  knowing  more  about  it.  It  has  been  used  as  a  bury- 
ing place  ever  since  the  pioneer  settlers  there,  with  fire-arms, 
guarded  their  homes  and  fields  from  the  attacks  of  the  red 
men.  Several  tall  evergreens  now  stand  as  lonely  sentinels 
near  the  centre,  and  a  big,  densely-branched  maple  tree  rears 
its  head  high  above  the  entrance  gate  at  the  corner,  a  rem- 
nant of  the  great  forest  trees  that  abounded  in  earlier  days. 


THE   OLD   WHITE   CHURCH 

(In  Grove  near  Fannettsburg) 

A  little  log  meeting  house  was  built  by  the  pioneers  in  the 
grove  of  handsome  oaks  across  the  road  on  the  east  side, 
and  near  by  a  big  spring  of  crystal  water  flowed  from  a 
little  bank,  and  afforded  a  meeting  and  drinking  place  for 
the  friendly  worshipers  who  came  early  to  enjoy  for  a 
while  before  service,  the  pleasant  summer  breeze.  In  time 
the  log  house  was  replaced  by  a  more  pretentious  weather- 
boarded  building.  This  was  comparatively  an  old  building 
when  I  first  knew  it,  but  it  served  as  a  place  of  worship  for 
the  people  in  the  south  end  of  the  valley  until  many  years 
after  I  attained  the  years  of  manhood.  I  give  you  here 
pictures  of  the  church  as  I  remembered  it,  and  the  big 
spring  as  it  was. 


PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCHES 


89 


Dear  children,  I  have  a  very  vivid  mind-picture  of  the 
faded  white  church  as  it  stood  among  the  old  oak  trees,  and 
as  the  preacher  solemnly  proclaimed  the  truth  from  the 
high,  old-fashioned  pulpit  at  the  farther  end  of  the  spacious 
room.  I  knew  where  every  family  had  their  sitting,  and  who 
were  punctual  and  regular  attendants.  I  knew,  too,  that 
father  and  mother  were  among  these,  for  did  my  mother 
not  occupy  one  end  of  the  pew,  and  father  the  other,  with 
the  children  between.  Sabbath  was  a  big  day  at  our  home, 
for  then  we  were  dressed  in  our  finest  clothes  and  taken  to 
the  old  white  church,  and  while  there  we  dared  not  speak  or 
smile  or  sleep  without  committing  a  great  sin.  I  fear  I 
acquired  the  habit  then  of  sleeping  with  my  eyes  open  and 
fixed  upon  the  preacher.  If  I  did  not  1  certainly  wished  I 
could  some  times.  After  services,  however,  we  shook  hands 
with  friends  and  gathered  in  small  groups  about  the  doors, 
occupying  a  few  moments  in  friendly  conversation  before 
separating  to  go  to  our  homes. 


THE    OLD    CHURCH   SPRING 

Sabbath  schools  were  not  so  popular  in  the  rural  districts 
then  as  now,  and  the  church  was  about  the  only  place  we 
went  to  in  "full  dress"  oft  the  farm.  But,  do  you  know,  my 
dear  little  friends,  I  am  rather  glad  to-day  that  I  have  the 
memory  of  those  associations. 

I  am  glad  that  I  can  ever  call  to  mind  the  picture  of  that 
old  church  and  its  surroundings.  I  am  glad  that  I  can  see 
in  fancy,  the  smiling  faces  of  the  little  groups  of  worshipers 
— people  of  the  simple  life,  as  they  inquired  of  each  other's 
welfare  and  chatted  pleasantly  about  things  of  general  in- 
terest.    Do  you  ask  why?     I  will  tell  you.     The  old  church 


90  HISTORY  OF   PATH   VALLEY 

is  now  gone,  and  most  of  the  glorious  oaks  which  furnished 
shade  to  the  people  and  horses.  The  wall  at  the  spring  is 
in  a  dilapidated  state,  and  is  now  largely  exposed  to  the 
bare  sun.  The  worshipers — those  who  were  heads  of 
families,  are  mostly  all  gone — yes.  sleeping  in  the  little 
graveyard  just  across  the  road.  And  there,  too,  lies  the 
form  of  the  dear  old  minister,  who  for  nearly  fifty  years 
preached  regularly  to  this  little  congregation,  and  who  was 
the  only  parson  I  knew  as  long  as  I  was  in  the  valley. 

Ah,  my  friends,  the  tears  moisten  my  eyes  as  I  think  and 
write  of  this  dear,  good  man — Rev.  Jeremiah  Smith  Gordon, 
He  was  the  staunch  friend  of  the  Park  family,  of  every 
family  of  the  church  over  which  he  presided,  and  indeed 
of  every  family  in  the  neighborhood.  He  was  an  honored 
guest  at  practically  every  social  gathering;  he  performed  the 
ceremony  at  every  wedding  of  note ;  he  baptized  nearly  all 
of  the  children  in  the  community,  and  ministered  at  the 
bedside  of  anyone  stricken  with  serious  sickness,  whether 
of  his  flock  or  not.  He  officiated  or  assisted  at  all  important 
burials  regardless  of  denomination.  He  was  a  friend  of 
everybody,  and  everybody  was  his  friend.  To-day  he  sleeps 
in  the  little  graveyard,  some  distance  beyond  the  tall  ever- 
green, and  everyone  who  visits  the  spot  drops  a  tear  upon 
his  grave. 

Come  with  me  to  this  old  country  graveyard  on  a  winter's 
morning.  The  snow  is  fast  falling,  and  covering  the  dried 
and  brown  surface  with  a  spotless  white  mantle.  The  old 
pine,  bending  with  the  weight  of  the  fleecy  covering,  as  if 
weeping,  keeps  guard,  and  in  its  high  top  sits  a  lone  crow 
looking  out  over  the  white  expanse  below.  Now  and  then 
his  body  sways,  and  we  hear  his  dreary  "caw-caw,"  sad 
notes  of  greeting  to  his  mate  perched  on  a  bare  arm  of  the 
old,  dying  oak  by  the  spring.  A  feeling  of  sadness  steals 
over  us,  and  we  bring  in  memory  review  the  loving  forms 
and  happy  ways  of  friends  long  since  sleeping  beneath  the 
snow-clad  mould.  Oh,  the  tender  sentiment — the  exquisite 
heart-touch  of  that  country  scene  in  the  lone  valley !  But 
come  with  me  again.  It  is  summer,  and  the  full  moon  is 
just  peeping  over  the  big,  bold  mountain  in  the  east.  The 
soft  summer  zephyrs  rustle  the  leaves  of  the  grand  old  maple 
by  the  gate,  and  we  enter  and  pass  up  the  grassy  way. 
Here  still  stands  the  tall  pine,  extending  lonely  arms  of 
welcome  to  an  evening  visit  from  those  of  life,  but  in  an 
undertone  calling  "H-u-s-h-sh-sh,"  as  we  tread  softly  by. 
No  longer  do  we  see  the  mantle  of  snow,  but  instead  the 
blackberry  shows  its  pure  white  clusters,  and  the  wild  rose, 
exquisite  in  its  soft  pink  color,  gives  a  halo  of  sweetness  to 


PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCHES  91 

the  evening  air.  We  listen,  but  all  is  silent,  save  the  low, 
solemn  dirge  of  the  crickets,  moaning  in  the  grassy  verdure. 
Now  the  darkness  draws  on,  and  we  listen  again !  Ah,  it 
is  the  lone  voice  of  the  whippoorwill,  singing  his  regular 
evening  requiem  to  the  departed,  as  he  kneels  upon  yonder 
barren  rock.  We  call  to  our  friends — call  to  them  tenderly, 
where  we  once  tearfully  laid  them  to  rest,  but  no  answer. 
We  call  again,  but  no  answer.  We  hear  only  the  mournful 
song  of  that  lone,  sad  bird,  and  the  low,  doleful  cricket 
accompanyment,  and  with  feelings  too  sacred  for  tears  we 
turn  away — away — away. 

GEO.  W.  PARK. 


Oil  page  65  the  death  of  Elder  D.  D.  Stitt,  which  occurred  Aug.  27, 
10010,  should  be  recorded.  He  was  a  man  loved  and  honored  by  his  breth- 
ren in  the  session  with  whom  he  served  faithfully  for  fifteen  years. 

Oil'  page  67  should  read:  In  the  Spring  of  1902  7-5  removed  to  the 
Northwest. 

On  page  68  the  name  of  H.  P.  Piper  should  he  in  the  list  of 
elders  and  Wimi.  McVitty  should  be  substituted  for  Frank  Magee  in  list 
of   trustees. 

Page    86,  lino   22,    name  of  President   S.   Albert  Walker   omitted. 
Page  87.    Only  one  of  the  elders  elect,   Prof.  D.    F.  McCurdy,    was  in- 
stalled   on    Jan.    7,  1917.    Messrs.   S.  W.  Noble  and  Howard  Hill 'declined. 


APPENDIX 


MARRIAGE    RECORD 

Rev.  A.  A.  McGinley,  D.  D. 


1802 

Geo.    Ramsey    anil    Jane    Gallagher. 
Wm.   Browft  and  Peggy  McVitty. 
Jno.    Beard   and   Sally   Herman." 
Daveis    and    Jones. 
(Two)    Milands   and    (two)    Cluggages. 

1803 

Jas.    Witherow  and  Jane   Markey. 
Jas.    Love    and    Elizabeth    Frame. 
Samuel  Finley  and  Betsy  Walker. 
Jno.    Bear   and   Elizabeth   Bear. 
Robt.   Walker  and  Polly  Walker. 

1804 

Francis   Johnston   and   E.    Elliott. 
Christian  Latshaw  and  Kitty  Davidson. 
Jno.   Shaw  and  Polly  Gaily. 
Daniel    Adams    and    Polly    McCurdy. 

1805 

T.    Harvey   and   Fanny   Barclay. 
Jas.   Johnston  and  Jane  Brown. 
Stephen    Skinner   and    Nancy   Morrow. 
Jas.    W.    Gamble  and   Eleanor   Hays. 
S.    Tulbertson   and   Hannah  Trousdale. 
P.    Fricker   and   Miss   Piper. 
J.    Witter    and    Catharine    Mondis. 
Jos.    Culbertson   and   Matty   Walker. 
A.    McNichle   and   Miss   Brown. 
A.    Mitchel   and   Peggy   Martin. 

1806 

Jno.    Ragan  and   Peggy  Bear. 
Jas.    Kilgore   and   Kitty  Harvey. 

1807 

A.    Appleby   and   A.    McGee. 
Jno.    MeKilven   and   P.    Graham. 
Mr.    Daveis   and   Miss   Jones. 
Jas.    Walker  and   Matty   Walker. 
A.   McGee   and   Matty   Appleby. 
A.    Widney   and   Ruth   Nohle. 
J.    Parsons   and   Miss   Jeffries. 

C.  Pomeroy  and  Molly  Holliday. 
R.    McNeil    and    Kitty   Campbel'l. 
R.    Clymans   and   B.    Morrow. 
Michael   Pases   and   R.    Hudson. 
Jas.    Sweney   and   M.    Cluggage. 

T.    Alexander   and    Susanna   Elder. 
Jas.   Gamble  and  Ann  Cree. 

180S 

R.    Lauthers    and    Sally    Lnuthers. 
Geo.  Ramsey  and  Jane  Gallagher. 
R.    Ramsey   and   E.    Walker. 
R.    Jeffries   and   M.    McNeil. 
Saml.    Fleming  and   Betsy   Kennedy. 

1809 

Matthew   Curry   and   Isabel    Fleming. 
Jno.   Brown  and  Betsy  Connor. 
J.   Appleby  and  Molly  Morelanil. 
Jno.    Blair  and   Sally   Harmoni. 

D.  Ferguson    and    P.    McKibbiu. 


J.    McKibbin   and   E.    Nelson. 

Mr.    Lauthers  and   Miss   McConnil. 

■ ■  Bradley  and  Alexander. 

.1.   Alexander  and  Miss  Morrison  G.  Cove. 

K.    Morrow  and  Margt.   A.   Irwin. 

J.    Connor  and   P.   Morrow. 

H.    Gordon    and    Polly    Barclay. 

J.    Harper   and   P.   Appleby. 

J.    Swan  and  B.   McConnil. 

J.   Reynolds  and  J.   McMullen. 

1810 

W.    Harvey   and   Mrs.    Palmer. 
Danl.   Dunkle  and  P.   Din. 
Geo.    Witter  and   Miss   Pelts. 
S.    Witherow  and  R.   Markey. 
Jos.   Andrews  and  Jane  Paul. 

■  Dechert   and  Lee. 

•T.   Pasco  and  Polly  Phetty. 

Thomas   Scott   and   Miss   Baker. 

H.    Winneman   and   P.    Crossin. 

J.   Daugherty  and  McElroy's  daughter. 

1811 

W.    Shetler   and   Mary    Coons. 
J.    Ford   and   Miss   Harper. 

C.  McGinley  and  P.   Alexander. 
J.    Shetter   and   Polly   Frame. 
James   Harry   and   P.    Hammon. 
S.    Ross   and   R.    Childerstone. 
J.   McCurdy  and  B.    Evert. 

L.    Gribble   and   N.    McKibben. 
Jonathan  Fink  and  Miss  Freker. 
Wm.    McKibben  and   N.    Wagoner. 
W.   McCartney  and  Jane  Wilson. 
Abram    Drake   and   Miss    McCelland. 
J.    Morrow  and   P.    Alexander. 
A.    Mclntire    and    Miss   Cluggage. 
T.    Johnston   and  Nancy   Moore. 
A  Young  Couple  at  Geo.   Skinner's. 
Isaac   Moreland   and    Miss   Bowman. 
Jas.    Derby   and   Miss    Sterritt. 
Mr.    Keller   and    Kitty   Whiteside. 
Wm.    Kelly   and   E.    Scott. 
Geo.    Skinner    to    His    Housekeeper. 

D.  Walker   and    I.    McConnel. 
D.    Elder  and   Mary  Alexander. 
James   Elder   and   Sally   Irwin. 
Mr.   Blair  and  Miss   Sterrett. 
Joshua   McNeil   and  Miss   Jeffries. 
Mr.    Simeson   and   Miss   Kerr. 
Wm.    Brice  and   Peggy   McVitty. 

1S12 

A.    Morrow  and  A.   Lakly. 

J.    Childerstone  and  J.    McAllen. 

R.    Young,    Esq.,    and    Molly   Galbraith. 

A.   Stewart  and   B.    Metzler. 

T.    Morrow   and    P.    Luper. 

J.   Marshall  and  E.   Beard. 

1S13 

W.   Anderson  and  .1.   McCormiek. 

Wm.    Stunkard   and   Miss    McNiel. 

Wm.   Woodcock  and  Elizabeth  Giles. 

W.    Geddis    and   E.    McMullen. 

T.   Morrow  and   Betsy   Barr. 

W.    Neil    and    Miss    Davies. 

J.    Cluggage   and   Miss   Cluggage. 


92 


APPENDIX 


93. 


1814 

Mr.    H.   Tolbert   and   Miss   Richardson. 
Dr.   A.   McKeehan   and  Molly  Connel. 
Mr.    Gilliland  and  Miss   Cluggage. 
Jno.    King   and   Mary    Maclay. 
Robert    Robeson   and    Miss   Taylor. 
Wm.   McGee  and  Miss  McMatli. 
Jos.    Wilson    and   Jane   Waters. 
R.    Bock  and   Miss   Allen. 
A.    Kerr   and   S.    Peoples. 
Wm.  Rankin  and  Susan   Weston. 
Alexander  McGee  and  Jane  Morrow. 

1815 

Wm.    Young   and   Betty    Peoples. 

Andrew    Barclay    and    Sally    Stark. 

Mr.    Giles   and   Miss   Sipe.  * 

Jesse   Devor   and  Miss   Peterson. 

Alexander  Manissab  and   Widow  McKim 

John   McMath  and  Miss   Uthe. 

Jno.    Flickinger  and   Polly  Alexander. 

Jas.    Alexander   and   Peggy   Holliday. 

Jas.    McConnell   and   Peggy    Walker! 

Jno.    Campbell    and    Miss    Campbell. 

Andrew  Morrow   and   Jane   Adams. 

Paul   Martin  and  Hannah  Taylor. 

David   Woods  and   Kitty  Campbell. 

N'isbet  Jeffries  and  Miss  Swan. 

Mr.    Adams   and    Miss    Vaughan. 

Mr.    Kennedy   and   Nancy    Kerr. 

Mr.    Hall   and    Miss    Robison. 

Mr.  Carothers  and  Peggy  Fitzsimmons. 

Natt   Kelly  and  Miss  Jamison. 

1816 

Jacob   Cobert  and   Jane   Clymond. 
Geo.    Taylor   and   Elizabeth   Newel. 
Wm.   Wilson  and  Elizabeth  Hall. 
Johnston   Noble   and   Peggy   Deiner. 
John   Noble  and   Sally   Harris. 
Jas.    Noble   and    Jane    Stewart. 
Wm.    Woods   and   Miss  Taylor. 
D.    Jeffries   and   E.    Campbell    (Widow). 
Martin    Hammond    and    Mary    Brown. 
Mr.    Ruuk   and   Miss    Bown." 

1817 

Jno.    French  and   Miss   Yon. 

Jas.    Neily   and    Betsy   Morton. 

Wm.    H.    Brotherton   and  Jane   Dunn 

Jesse   Hollingsworth  and  Isabel   Campbell. 

Wm.    Richardson   and   Polly    Fainmau 

Mr.   Parsons   and   Pollv  Elder 

Mr.   Gilliland  and   Miss  Cluggage. 

Jno.    Lother   and    Nancy   Johnston. 

Samuel    Dunn   and   Jane   Maclay. 

Jno.    Walker   and   Sally   McCormick. 

Paul  Geddes  and  Betsy  MeConnel. 

Samuel    Steel   and    Betsy   Crosson. 

Jno.    Moore   and   Miss   Powell. 

Francis  McConnell  and  Hannah  Campbell 

Robt.    Elder  and   Lydia   Blair. 

1818 

James  Gamble  and  Jane  Fleming 
Michael    Morrow    and    Betsy    Stark. 
L.    Hammon   and   Molly   Skinner 
Wm.   Hammill  and   Rebeckah   Ashman 
S.    Barton    and    Sally    Logan. 
Wm.    Kerr   and    Elizabeth    Elder. 
Jacob   Coons   and  Lydia    Bear. 
Jno.   Thompson   and   R.    Black. 
Wm.  Martin  and  Peggy  Beattie. 

1819 

Mr.    Nimmon    and    Molly    Skinner. 
Mr.    Barnett  and   Betsy*  Ingerty. 
Geo.    Newman   and    Barbara    Hammon. 
Jno.    Swan    and    Hannah    Cree. 


Thomas  Campbell  and  Widow  Mackey. 
Hugh    Wiley   and    Betsy   Morrow1. 
Wm.    Campbell    and   Betsy    Robeson. 
(Jeo.    Croft    and    Nancy    Harry. 
Jno.    Cowan    and    Betsy    Snider. 

1S20 

Wm.    Kmry   and   Miss   Stewart 
Jos.    Kilgore   and    Sally   Buchanan. 
Robert  Peterson  and   B.    Hollingsworth. 
Nehemiah  Harvey  and  Harriet  McVitty 
Jno.    Brenneman   and   Jane   Marshal 
Henry    Neil    and    Miss    Kegerise. 
F.   Dubbs  and  Isabella  Jamieson. 
Sainl.    Harper   and    Nancy    Geddes 
Dr.   Wm.  Johns  and  Nancy  Dunn. 
•I no.    Fleck   and    Margaret   Brinley. 

1821 

Samuel   Walker  and  Martha   McConnell. 
1).   I'letcher  and  Isabel  McCulloh. 
t*eo.    Kelly    and    Miss    Marshall. 
Mr.    Fish    and    Miss    Clayton. 
Adam  Glascow  and  Margaret  McVitty. 
Ed.   Johnson  and  Ann   McCurdy    (Widow) 
Robt.   Welch  and  Widow  Harper. 
Hugh   Wallace   and   Nancy   Linn. 

Jno.   Crause  and  Shearer. 

Jas.    Coulter  and   Susan    Kyle. 
Wm.   Grosb  and   Margaret  Knafe. 
Robt.   Kerr  and   Martha   Elder. 
Wm.    Varuer   and   Elizabeth   Stewart 
David    Hudson    and   Martha   Taylor. 
Andrew   Kerr   and   Margaret   Campbell. 
Jno.    Dunn   and   Eliza   Maclay. 
Jos.   Nelson   and  Jane  Moore. 
Jno.    Anderson   and   Margt.    Mc Allen. 
Martin   Coons   and   Jane   Wallace. 
R.    Alexander  and   Polly  Elder. 
Peter  Cook  and   Nancy   Bear. 
Wm.    Woods    and    Betsv    Campbell 
Benj.   Eby  and  Rachel  Elder. 
R.   Lauther  and   Miss  McNeal. 
Robt.    Elliott  and   Isabel   McCune. 
A.    Foreman   and   N.    Carothers. 
Jno.   Briggs  and  Peggy  Gilliland. 
Samuel  Shearer  and  Molly  McMullin. 
Robt.   McCune  and  Jane  McCormick. 
Jno.    Dore   and    Ann    McCune. 
(Jeo.    Conrad    and 

Peggy  Marshall    (Colored). 
A.    McNeil    and    Miss    Gooshorn. 

1822 

Richard  Jeffries  and  Molly  Anderson. 
Robt.    Blair   and   Miss   Erwiu. 
John  Still  and   Nancy  Kilgore. 
D.  R.  Thompson  and  Ruth  Harvey. 
Jas.    Walker  and   Ann   Skinner. 
David   Long  and   Sally   Dubbs. 
Reuben    Fox   and   Jane    Mackey. 
Jno.  Alexander  and  A.  McCurdy. 
Alexander  Taylor  and  Jane  Orr. 
Chas.   Mihorner  and 

Sally  Hatfield    (Colored). 
Jno.   Funk  and  Jane  Gooshorn. 

Daniel    Parks   and   Cluggage. 

Simon   Miller  and  Ann   Everett. 
Jno.    Harvey    and    Miss    Culbertson. 
D.    Witherow   and    B.    Gaston. 
Wm.   Jackson   and   Isabel   WitlieroW. 
Henry   Likely   and    Mary    Her r on. 
Jas.    Adams   and   Miss    Gooshorn. 
Wm.    Swan   and    Betsy    Kerr. 

1823 

3no.    McAllen    and    Sarah   Skinner. 
Thomas    Adams   and    Polly   Little. 

Henry  Robeson  ana  Peggy  Taylor. 
A.    Typer   ami    Peggy   Campbell. 


94 


APPENDIX 


J.    Stitt   and    Sally    Badger. 
Thomas  Taylor  and  Hannah   Adams. 
Saml.    Shearer  and   Kitty   Crouse. 
Wm.    Craig   and    Margret    Johnston. 

Andrew  Johnston  and  — McVitty. 

Jno.    Finley    and    Kezia    Witherow. 
Owen  Thomas   and   Isabel   Mackey. 
Jno.    Woods   and   Betsy   Kofrode. 
Wm.    Gooshorn   and   Betsy   McFarland. 
Jos.   Kilgore  and  Margt.   Kirkpatrick. 
Wm.    Scott   and   Frances   Harper. 
Mr.    Stitt   and    Miss    Swan. 
J.  T.   Greer  and  Eliza  Palmer. 
Elijah   Drake   and   Ruhanna   Herron. 
Wm.   Stitt  and   Margaret   Hermani. 
John   Finley  and  Jane   Reynolds. 
Arch'd  Love  and  Mary  Woods. 
Andrew   Campbell    and   Mary   McFarlin. 
J  as.  H.  Rankin  and  Margaret  McCurdy. 
Robert   Campbell   and   Polly   Jones. 
Thomas   Orr   and   Sally   Gooshorn. 
James   Shaw   and   Nancy  Taylor. 
Matthias    Ambrose    and    Eliza    Bird. 
Jas.    Craig   and   E.    Speer. 

1824 


Michael   Rine   and   Bettsy   D . 

Robt.   Blythe  and  Maria  McVitty. 
Geo.    Wunder   and    Nancy    Neil. 
John   Witherow  and   Susan  Tipper. 
David  Server  and  Rebecca  Johns. 
Wm.    Linn    and   Jane    Morrow. 
Samuel    Gamble   and    Peggy   Adams. 
Jas.   Donnelly  and  Catharine  Struble. 
John    Duncan   and   Eliza   Elder. 

1825 

Wm.    Fitzsimmons   and    Eliza   Holman. 
Joseph  Brandt   and   Hannah   Rine. 
Jas.    Walker   and    Jane    Jamison. 
Wm.  Elder  and  Jane  Filson. 
Robert  Little  and  Agnes  Gamble. 
Geo.    Kreghris   and   Peggy  Crouse. 
Alex.    Kerr  and  Polly  Gilford. 
Morrow  Gamble  and  Hannah  Filson. 
Mr.    Forbes  and  Ann  Campbell. 
Leonard    Conrad    and 

Dolly  Washington   (Colored). 
Sam'l   Long  and   Elizabeth   Dubbs. 
A     Wilson   and   Ann   Alexander. 
E.    Kirkpatrick    and    Temperance    Alex. 
John   Rine   and    Kitty   Timmons. 
S.    O.    Brown  and   Margaret   Brewster. 
Jno.    Geddes   and   Catharine   Maclay. 
Jacob  Ikes   and   Rachel    Bell. 
Jacob  Brinley  and  Kitty  Klippinger. 
A.   Irwin   and  Mary  Jourdan. 
R.    Love  and   Miss   MeCune. 
Geo.    McCullough   and   Eliza   Cail. 
Thos.    Wilson   and   Margaret   Robison. 
H.   Kunesman  and   Kitty  Potts. 
Michael    Stake    and    Margaret    Piper. 
Matthew  Laird  and  Issabella  McMullen. 

1826 

John   Bouland   and   Kitty   Ruth. 
Jas.   Peterson  and  Mary   Hollingsworth. 
Peter  Bealman   and   Margt.    Kegreis. 
Robt.    Luper    and    Catharine    Wilhelm. 
James  Stewart  and  Betsy  Shetler. 
Geo     Williams    and    Maria    Coats. 
Jno.    McVittv    and   Ann    Culbertson. 
Jas.   Innis  and  Caroline  Porter. 
Wm.    Turner   and   Catharine   Johnston. 
Jas.    McGee   and   Nancy   Lessick. 
Peter   Shearer  and   Williana   McVitty. 
Jos.    Kilgore   and    Susanna    Shearer. 

1827 

Samuel   Gamble  and   Isabella   Wilson. 
Jno.    Skinner  and   Moriah    Brewster. 


Dr.    Lightner   and   Priscilla    Cromwell. 
Geo.    Gooshorn    and    Kitty    Wallace. 
W.    Carothers   and   Miss  Carothers. 
Jas.    Camp   and   Eliz.    Willitt. 
Jacob    Pruneard    and    Miss    Weaver. 
Hays  Kirkpatrick  and   Rachel   Dunkle. 

1828 

Benjamin   Cornelius  and   Ellen  Baird. 
N.    K.    Campbell    and    E.    McGee. 
Thomas   Campbell   and   Margt.    Campbell. 
Edward  Thompson   and  Molly   Shetter. 
Henry   Brewster  and   Nancy  Campbell. 
Saml.   Cowan  and  Polly  Snider. 
D.    Elder    and    Margt.    McCartney. 

Fackender  and  Hetty  Fackender. 

David  Kyle  and  Mary  Beattie. 

Wm.   MeClay  and  Mary  Palmer. 
J.    Stitt    and   Miss    Marshall. 
Wm.    Malone   and   Miss   Kelly. 

1829 

Jno.    Nave   and   Martha   Kendall. 
Geo.    Dunkle    and   Polly    Varner. 

Campbell  and  Eliza  McCullough. 

Lindsay  and   Miss   James. 

Edward   Kirkpatrick   and   Ann   Herron. 
Chas.   Carson   and  Jane  Campbell. 
Wm.   Ferguson  and  Catharine  Johnston. 
Jno.   McGinley  and  Eliza  McCormick. 
Jas.    Mackey    and   Christina    Walk. 
Geo.    Fonstine  and   Mary   Murry. 
Elias   Geurer   and   Isabel  Taylor. 

Jno.    Potts  and   Margaret   Linn. 

1S30 

Wm.    Skinner  and   Mary  Ann   Ramsey. 
Wm.    Connell    and    Rebeckah   Turner. 
Win.    Gaston   and   Mary   McCurdy. 
Jas.    Chedderstone  and   Eliza    Wilson. 
Mr.    Laughlin    and    Miss    McKee. 
Mr.   Carothers   and   Ruth    Douglass. 
Jas.    McAninch   and   Barbara    McLean. 
Alexander   McMullin  and   Betsy  Jones. 
T.    Geddes   and   Rebeckah   Walker. 
Danl.   Wollf  and  Barbara  Kasey. 
Wm.    Davis   and   Maria   McAllister. 
Jno.   Evert   and  Jane   McCullough. 
Wm.    Dunkle   and   Jane   Withrow. 
Jno.   Keasey  and  Jane  McCurdy. 
Geo.    Kirkpatrick  and  Maria   Filson. 
A.   Johnson  and  Julian   McVitty. 

(Forgotten   in    1822.) 
Jos.   Elder  and  Ann  Kirkpatrick. 
Jno.    Culbertson   and   H.    McVitty. 
Geo.    O'Tire  and  Julian   Miller. 

Weaver    and 

Miss  Cooper   (Mt.  Pleasant.) 
S.    Piper   and   Polly   Mitchell. 
Geo.  Wieman  and  Elizabeth  Barclay. 
Jonas   Baer  and  Mary  McCartney. 
A.    Holman   and   B.    Hamet. 
Jno.   Lechler  and  N.   E.   MeCune. 

1831 
Wm  Fleming  and  Eleanor  Worthington. 
J.    McCurdy   and   Eliza    Klippinger. 

1832 

Wm.   Harper  and  Susanna   Moore. 
Brice   Blair   and   E.    Cree. 
Thos.   George  and  Martha  Patterson. 
Jos.   WithroW  and  Polly  Pattison. 
D.    Peterson    and    Hannah    Bear. 
Moses  Dubbs   and  Eliza   Ragan. 
Jas.   Withrow   and  Margaret   Filson. 
Jno.    Fox   and   Susan   Cooper. 
Henrv    Neil    and   Margt.    Rine. 
Wm." Skinner  and  C.   Shoemaker. 
Jno.    Maffitt    and    Elizabeth    Rankin. 


APPENDIX 


95 


Mr.   Allen  and  Miss   Harkins. 
I).    Marshal    and   Isabella   Harvey. 
Juo.    Lewis   and   Ann    Barnhart. 
Kelly   and   Miss   Marshall. 

1833 

Dan   Kekerise   and   Mary   Holman. 
Peter   Stake  and   Caroline   Holman. 
D.   Klippinger  and  Catharine  Kegei'ise. 
S.    (Jlass    and    Rachel    Marshal. 
David   Weible   and   Jane   Marshal. 
David    Welsh    and    Eliza    Gamble. 
Jacob  Hammou  and  Sarah   Itagan. 
Fred   K.    Walk   and   Mary   Brown. 
Weener   Neely   and  Polly   Kelly. 
Jas.    Gamble  and   Eliza  Allison. 
J  no.   Kelly  and  Elizabeth  Gamble. 
T.    Harvey   and   Margt.    Geddes. 
Wm.   Herron  and  Mary  Gamble. 
Robert  McGee  and  Catharine  Campbell. 
Win.    Kendel   and   Hannah   Elder. 
Jas.    Mairs   and 

Polly  Steel   (1808  forgotten). 

David   Bowman  and   Betsy . 

Elias   Evans   and   Eliza   Taylor. 
D.   Kilgore  and  Miss   Parks. 
Jno.    McAninch   and    Miss    McClean. 
Wm.    Arbuckle   and   Amelia    Weiser. 
J.    Kegerise  and   Christina   Lamison. 
J.    Henry  and  Miss  Willet. 

Mr.    Smith   and   Miss . 

Jacob   Wilhelm   and   Hannah    Withrow. 
Samuel  Holliday  and  Elizabeth  McElhenny. 
Wm.    Moore   and    Mary   Bear. 
Jas.    Mills   and   Ruth   McCurdy. 
Wm.    A.    Mackey   and   Mary   Park. 

1834 

Nathanial   Kelly  and  Mary  Ann   Brewster. 
Jas.    McElhenny  and  Rosanna   Dubbs. 
Wm.  Campbell  and  Mollie  McCormick. 
Jno.  Mills  and  Emma  Clymonds. 
Danl.    McMullin    and    Betsy    Kilgore. 
R.   D.   Rinkard  and  Ellen  Anderson. 
B.    Wilhelm    and    Isabella    Johnston. 
Isaac  Rine  and  Mary  Bear. 

1835 

Mr.    Kilgore  and  Eleanor   Moore. 
Jacob  Woollet  and  Molly  Keasey. 
S.   O.   McCurdy  and   Mariah   Klippinger. 
Wm.   Barclay  and  Molly  McDonnel. 
Daniel    Skinner  and   Susanna   Klippinger. 
Wm.  Cover  and  Margaret  Woods. 
Mr.    Gingery   and    Nancy   Frame. 
Wm.   Culbertson  and  Margt.    Scott. 
Jas.    Harvey    and    Nancy    Dunn. 
D.    Welsh    and    Eliza    Gamble. 
Michael   Gamble  and  Elizabeth   Pomeroy. 
David    Fraker   and    Catharine   Harvey. 
Samuel    Cree   and   Eliz.    Welsh. 
Robert   Strein  and   Eliza   McAllen. 
Neely   Carothers  and   Nancy  Taylor. 
Walker   Cree   and   Eleanor    Nan. 
Robt.   Laughlin  and  Maria   Blythe. 
Wm.    Carothers   and    Mary   Paul. 
Jno.    Stitt   and   Ann   Cree. 
Jacob  Walk  and   Martha   McGee. 

1836 

David   Oeyer   and   Catharine    Rosenbeiy. 
Benj.   Steck  and  Ann   Hennani. 
Rolland  H.   Brown   and   Jane  Kyle. 
Elias    Shearer    and    Eliza    Campbell. 
Geo.    Barclay  and   Martha    Nave. 
Noah   McVitty   and    Mary   Culbertson. 
Robert   McFarland   and  Jane  McKinney. 
Matthew  Taylor  and   Polly  Ann   Marshall. 
Jas.    Moore   and   Elizabeth    Shetler. 
Samuel    Doran    and    Rachel    McFarlin. 
Jas.    Campbell    and    Barbara    Shetler. 


Alexander   Widney   and   Margt.    Hammond. 
C.   Anderson  and  Eleanor  Peoples. 
Daniel    Wisegasser   and   Hannah    Ragan. 
Wm.    Woods  and  Jane  Moore. 
Jno.    McVitty   and  Frances  Culbertson. 
Jonathan    Briggs    and 

Miss  Gilliland    (Forgotten   in   1816). 

1837 

Robert    Shaver   and    Martha    Elder. 
Wm.    Grosh   and   Margt.    Dunkle. 
Jas.    Widney  and  Ann   Smiley. 
J.    H.    Bard   and   Elizabeth    Dunn. 
F.   A.   Shearer  and  Martha  McVitty. 
Abraham   Brinley  and  Ann  Wilson. 
Jos.    Elder   and    Mary    Wolff. 
Wm.    Culbertson   and   Polly    Dunkle. 
Jno.    Graham    and    Eliza    Dunn. 
Jos.   McClellan  and  Mary  Maloy. 
Jas.    Graham   and   Mary   Montgomery. 


1838 


Swan  and 


Rouse. 


Gideon  Nave  and   Eliza   Moreland. 

Jno.    Evert  and   Lydia   Neusbaum. 

Jno.    Witberow    and    Isabel    Widney. 

David   Skinner  and  P.    A.    Flickinger. 

Jno.    Skinner   and   Ann   Eiiza   Barclay. 

Saml.   Elder  and  Martha  Alexander.* 

Jos.    Laird   and   Miss   Adams. 

Geo.    Shaffer  and  Margt.    McElhenny. 

Wm.    Brewster  and  Rachel  Elder. 

Stephen   Culbertson   and   Margt.    McCune. 

Wm.    Flickinger  and  Martha   Skinner. 

Dr.   J.    K.    McCurdy  and   E.   J.    McGinley. 

Ebenezer   McDowell    and    Mary    Lessig 

Geo.   Grouse  and  Jane  Ginnevin. 

Jno.    Brandt   and    Miss    Crouse. 

Geo.    Wilson  and  Mary  Ann   Elliott. 

Jas.    Henry    and    Elizabeth    Baker. 

Jas.    Cree.    and    Elizabeth    Walker. 

Spence   Campbell   and   N.    Walker. 

Wm.    Johnston   and   Jane   McGee. 

Wm.    Shetler  and   Martha   Wolff. 

Jno.    Flickinger   and   Isabel    McCartney. 

Dr.   Lightner  and  Catharine  Flickinger. 

Peter   Shaffer   and   Margt.    Morrow. 

N.    K.    Harvey  and   Betsy  Rose. 

Jacob   Flickinger  and   Lavina   Klippinger. 

Jas.   Adams  and  Sarah   Brinley. 

Geo.    Fortney   and   Margt.    Shetler. 

1S39 

Mr.    Rhodes    and    Eliza    Flickinger. 
Abraham   Elder   and   Nancy   Nesbitt. 

•   Eby   and   Rachel    Stepheson. 

Danl.    Johnston   and  Catharine   Skinner. 
Jno.    Stitt   and    Betsy    Botts. 
Wilson   Widney   and    Molly    Skinner. 
Adam   Piper   and   Ruth   Piles. 
Wm.    Wolff    and    Ann    Taylor. 

1840 

Foster  and  Rachel  Laird. 


John    Stake    and    Nancy    Culbertson. 
Jno.    McGee  and  Catharine  Shetler. 
Jacob    Shearer   and    Agnes   Campbell. 
Wm.    Skinner  and   Sally   Rine. 
Jno.    Laird    and    Mary    Ragan. 
S.    M.    Skinner   and   Margt.   Culbertson. 
Wm.     Funston    and    Margt.    McVitty. 
H    Home    and    Catharine    Ragan. 
Wm.    McCartney    and    Eliz.    Bear. 
Jas.    Clvmans   and   Ann   Sevburn. 
David   Wolff   and    Elizabeth   Reed. 
Peter    Rosenbery    and    Eliza    Ross. 
David    Gamble   and- Lydia    Bear. 

Ed.    Carlin    and    Krouse. 

R.    Gillespie    and    Lucinda    Stewart. 
F.    Stake    and    Eleanor    Gamble. 
David    French    and   Jane    Devor. 


96 


APPENDIX 


1S41 

J.   Kochel  and  Margt.   Coous. 
Isaac   Clugstou   and    Agues    Hammond. 
Geo.    Taylor   and   Martha    Hammond. 
Jno.    Da  vies   and   M.    J.    Gamble. 
Gilbert    Kennedy   and   Miss   Clynians. 
Amos   Shearer  and   Moriah   Brown. 
Dr.  J.   Widney  and  Eliza  Boggs. 
S.   Kerlin  and  Miss  McFarliu. 
Simpson   Carmack   and   Miss   Henry. 
Jonathan   Mackey   and   Betsy   Cartlering. 
Wilson    Skinner    and   Agnes    Morrow. 

Peter  Heagy  and  Bank. 

McGowan  and  Ellen   Ginnisou. 


D.  Evitts  and  M.   J.   Steel. 

W.   B.   I.eas  and  Mary  Stewart. 

Wm.    Suodgress  and   Isabel   Anderson. 

Dubbs   and   Zilla   Walker. 

Abram  Evert  and  Susanna   Roseubery, 


Michael    Shearer   and   Christina   Coons. 

Lessig  and   Ruth   Mi-Gee. 

Kerr  and  Mary  H.   Blair. 

Chas.  Campbell  and  Ann  Jones. 
J.  M.  Stewart  and  Eliza  Crover. 
Wm.    Welsh   and   Sarah    Walker. 

J.  T.   Wilds  and  Margt.   J.   Stinson. 
Henry    Neil    and    Rebeckah    Varner. 
Mark   Campbell   and  M.    A.   Campbell. 
Jas.    Cooper   and   Mary   A.    McKeehan. 
Jacob   Cover   and   Margt.    Dunkle. 
Jas.   Coffee  and  Isabel   Steel. 
Enian.   Brubecker  and  Mary   Fraker. 

■   Greenfields   and   S.    Long. 

Jas.    Witherow   and   Mary   Rosenbery. 
Wm.    Stewart   and   Sarah    Neely. 

1843 

Jas.   Kirkpatrick  and  Agnes  Shetler. 
Jas.    Kuntz    and    Bethia    Coons. 
Jos.    Culbertson   and    Mary   Magee. 

Jeffries  and  Harriet  Holman. 

Jas.    Kelly   and   Mary  Jane    Geddes. 
Richard   Wilson   and   Sarah   Bear. 
Wm.    Skinner   and    S.    A.    Aikins. 
Wm.   Pine  and  Rebecca  Lessig. 
Wm.    Piper  and  Harriet  Horner. 

Stake   and   Mary   McVitty. 

Henry    Spitzer    and   Catharine   Runk. 
Jno.    Johnston    and    Eliza    Miller. 
Jos.   BroWn  and  Martha  Shearer. 
Jas.    Carothers  and  Eliza   Templeton. 
Wm.   Taylor   and   Miss   Reed. 

D.    Shoemaker  and   Susan   Flickinger. 

1844 

Jno.    Stall   and  Christina   Bear. 

Saml.  Hatfield  and  Mary  Jane  Johnston. 

Jas.    Brewster  and   Nancy  J.    Stewart. 

Jno  Krause  and  Nancy   Taylor. 

Moses  Neusbaum  and  Maria  Houser. 

Jno.   Taylor  and  Eliza   Yohn. 

Wm.   Parker  and  Ellen   Phetty. 

Otha  Brewer  and  Buhamah   Philips. 

Peter  Coons  and  Miss  Coons. 

Samuel  Paxton  and  Isabella  Corbet. 

Samuel  McConnell  and  Ann  Walker. 

Wm.   W.   Fletcher  and  Ellen  Ray. 

Jno.   Newlin  and   Eliza  Lessig    (Colored). 

Robert    Korminy    and 

Carolina    Barns    (Colored). 
Wm.    Little   and  Abagail    Shafer. 

1845 

Reimer  and   Susan   Sarver. 

Jno.    Robertson    and  Eliza    Montgomery.' 


Jacob   Hess  and  Catharine   Mull. 
Jesse  Jones    and   Mary   Geddes. 
Benjamin   Culbertson   and  Martha   McGee. 
Noah    Hackadorn    and    Mary    Wilson. 
David  J.   Skinner  and  Catharine   Barclay. 
Wm.    Kirkpatrick   and   Rebecca    Brandt. 
Jno.    Runk   and   Mary  A.   Briuley. 
Ellas  Fraker  and  Mary  Brown. 
Randall   Alexander  and  Martha   Kunsman. 
Wm.   Johnston   and   Martha    Walker. 
Jos.   Pilgrim  and  Elizabeth  Woods. 
David   Edwards   and   Margt.    E.    Anderson. 
Jno.    Reader   and   Mary    Kegerise. 
Jonathan  Cree  and  Rhoda   Elliott. 
Jos.    Ferguson    and    Nancy   J.    Stark. 
Elliott    Ramsey    and    Mary    Ramsey. 

1846 

.T.    McGinley   Walker   and    Ann   Cree. 
Isaac    Zeigler    and    Mary   A.    Hammond. 
Jas.    Burk   and   Mary   A.    Brandt 
C.   B.    Duncan   and  Hannah   Harvey. 
Saml.    Miller    and   Jane   Davis. 
Jas.    Moore  and  Catharine   Whitman. 
Jas.    Kennedy    and    Margt.    Laird. 
Wm.    Gamble  and  Catharine  Shearer. 

Abuer   Perkins  and   Drucilla  A . 

Wm.   McGinley  and  Mary  Ann  Alexander. 
A.   C.   Stewart  and  Mary  Jane  Witherow. 

1S47 

Wm.    Dishen   and  Ann   McCartney. 

Geo.    W.    Shearer  and   Mollie   Barclay. 

Jno.    Michaels   and   Margt.    Neely. 

Jno.    Finley   and   Eliza   Landis. 

Wm.    Elliott   and   Ann   Brown. 

Geo.    Magee   and   Mary   J.    Taylor. 

David  Beck   and   Amy   Wonder. 

Jno.    McAllen   and   Elizabeth    N'inimon. 

Wm.    Scribe   and   Elizabeth   Carthring. 

Wm.   Henry  and  Mary  A.   Heeter. 

Jacob  Hassel  and  Mary   Miller. 

Wm.   S.    Harris  and  Nancy   C.   Elliott. 

.las.  A.  Slaymaker  and  Mary  A.  Wilson. 

Jas.    Kelly   and   Margt.    Gamble. 

Wm.    Elliott  and  Margt.    Skinner. 

1S48 

Jos.    Devor  and   Maria   Shetler. 

Jas.    W.   McKim   and  Eleanor  Little. 

Mark  Campbell  and  Agness  Barclay. 

Watson   Alexander   and   Eliza    Brown. 

Wm.    Brewster  and   Sarah   Walker. 

Anthony  Klippinger  and  Susan   Keasey. 

Josiah    Elliott    and    Marv    Welsh. 

Jno.    Potts   and    Sarah   C.    Stitt. 

Witnessed  a  conveyance  from  Jno.  Potts 
to    his    wife    about    an    hour    after 
their   marriage   of  a    saw"  mill    and 
some    land    in    Cambria    Co. 

A.    A.    McGinley. 
Jno.   Potts   acknowledged   the  convey- 
ance in  my  presence. 

A.    A.    McGinley. 

Geo.    Barnhart   and   Sarah   Harvey. 

Fred    Long   and    Agnes    Davor. 
1849 

S.    M.    Linn   and   Martha   J.    Brown. 

Danl.    Wademan   and   Vidate   Hammond. 

Hewit  Wilson  and  M.  J.   Flickinger. 

Jno.    Ferguson  and  Ellen   Varner, 

Jacob   Devor  and  Elizabeth   Briuley. 

Robt.   Campbell   and   Eliza  Harvey. 

Jamison   Kelly  and   Isabel   Walker. 

Jno.  Crouse  and  Elizabeth  Haynes. 

Jacob    Havnes    and    Elizaheth    Gamble    in 
1824   or   1825   or   1826,    forgotten. 

David   Davor  and    Mary   Laird. 

Solomon    Coons    and   Elizabeth    Sarver. 

Amos    Brown    and    Ellen    Rine. 

Jas.    Irvin   and    Isabel   Typer. 


APPENDIX 


97 


1850 

Robert    McAllen  and   Isabella  Campbell. 
Andrew  Walker  and  Isabella  M.  Campbell. 
Elias   Hammond  and   Rebecca    Rine. 
.1.   B.    Worthington  and  Mary  A.  Croft. 
.in.)   Harl   ami    Margt.    Ramsey. 
Jacob  Neusbaum  and  Maria  Dunkle. 
tCoab   1').    Sbearer  ami   Eliza    Vansayor. 

1  sr>  I 

Matthew    Elder    ami    Mary    .] .    EvittS. 
.1.    \V.    Sboop  and   Eliza    Brandt. 
Isaac    Richardson   aud   Jane   Miller. 
Saml.    Coons   and   Mary   J.    Haines. 
Mark    Piper  and   Catharine   Harvey. 
Isaac  A.  Abraham  and  Elizabeth  Campbell. 
S.    \V.    Boyd  and  Lucinda  Witherow. 
Saml.    Gamble  and  Eliza   Barton. 
Edward  McVitty  and  Mary  Burk. 
Saml.   Walker  and  S.   A.   McGinley. 
Dan!.    Stewart,   and   Maria    Shetler. 
Martin  L.  Hammond  and  Martha  Barclay. 
McCurdy   Rankin   and   Mary   Wilson. 
Inn     Cronse    and    Susanna    Brown. 


1852 

Robt.    Campbell    and    Margt.    Herrou. 
Danl.   Hammond  and   Eleanor  Skinner. 
Cyrus  Hazlett  and  Annetta  Culbertson. 

Valentine  Stewart  and   Mary   E.    McVitty. 
Jno.    R.    Morrow  anil   Margt.    McGlin. 
Wilson   McCartney  and   Maria   Seibert. 

Daniel  Weidmau  aud . 

Jno.    Skinner   and    Mary   J.    Kirkpatrick. 

1S53 

las.    Gill    aud    Elizabeth    Daver. 

Jno.   T.   Peterson  and  Catharine  Miller. 

las.    Stitt  and   Elizabeth   Hammond. 

1854 

Edward  Rice  and  Mary  Ann  Keasey. 
1855 

Levi    line    and    Margt.    Coons. 
Thomas   Gracey   and   Hetty  Cowan. 
las.     Patterson    and    Melinda    Stewart. 


98  APPENDIX 


Pennsylvania,  ss 

By  the  Proprietaries. 

Whereas,  John  Blair,  Randall  Alexander,  David  Elder, 
^_.^       and  James  Montgomery  of  the  county  of  Cumberland 
I  q    t    [      (now    Franklin)    have    humbly    requested    of    us,    that 
i  >      we  would  please  to  grant  unto  them  four  acres  of  land 

joining  David  Campbell  and  James  Montgomery,  in- 
cluding part  of  the  Spring  Run,  in  Fannett  Township 
in  the  county  of  Cumberland,  for  a  meeting  house  of  religious 
worship  in  trust  for  diverse  inhabitants  of  said  township  of  the 
Presbyterian  Persuasion  and  for  a  burial  yard;  and  we  favoring 
the  request,  here  agreed  to  grant  the  same  under  the  yearly  quit 
rent  of  one  shiling  sterling  forever.  These  are  to  require  you  to 
survey  or  caused  to  be  surveyed  the  said  four  acres  of  land,  and 
make  return  thereof  into  our  surveyors  office  in  order  for  informa- 
tion, by  Patent,  to  the  said  John  Blair,  Randall  Alexander,  David 
Elder  and  James  Montgomery  and  their  heirs  in  trust  for  the  use 
and  purpose  aforesaid:  and  for  your  doing  so  this  shall  be  your 
warrant. 

Given  under  my  hand  and  the  seal  of  the  Land  office,  by 
virtue  of  certain  powers  from  said  Proprietor,  at  Philadelphia, 
this  21st  day  of  June,  1765. 

JOHN  PENN. 

To  John  Lukins,  S.  G., 

To  Col.  John  Armstrong,  D.  S. 

Execute  this  warrant  and  make  return  of  survey  into  the 
Surveyor-General's  Office. 

JOHN  LUKINS,  S.  G 

Note:     This  survey  was  not  made  until  June  9th,  1768. 


INDEX 


Page. 

Introduction,    2 

Program  of  Exercises,  4 

Address  of  Rev.  T.  J.  Ferguson,  7 

Address  of  Rev.  S.  S.  Wylie,  9 

A  Vision,  Rev.  G.  H.  Bucher,  10 

Address,  Dr.  James  A.  Gordon,  11 

Address,  Rev.  Thos.  Tyack,  D.  D.,  13 

Address,  Dr.  J.  G.  Rose,  I7 

Personal  Reminiscences,  Dr.  James  A.  Gordon,  19 

Address,  Dr.  S.  S.  Wylie,  23 

Address,  John  C.  Wilhelm,  - 27 

Address,  Dr.  E.  D.  Warfield,  29 

Address,  Rev.  James  A.  Gordon,  32 

History  of  Upper  and  Lower  Churches,  39 

Historical  Address,  Rev.  D.  I.  Camp,  56 

History  of  Lower   Church, 69 

Rev.  J.  Smith  Gordon,  71 

Rev.  Thomas  B.   Baxter,  76 

Burnt    Cabins    Presbyterian    Church,   78 

Biography,    

Sesqui-Centennial    Address,   83 

Present    Pastorate,    °3 

Elders    in    Lower    Church,    87 

Trustees    in    Lower    Church,   87 

Children's   Letter,   Geo.   W.   Park,  88 

Appendix,    -'- 

99 


100 


ADVERTISEMENTS 


Earl  Brooks  Worthington 

Prof,  of  Mathematics, 
Franklin  and  Marshall  Academy 

Lancaster,  Pa. 

IRVIN  ALEXANDER 
Indiana  Engineering  Co. 

Akron,  Ohio. 

William  O.  Skinner,  M.  D. 
Greggsville,  111. 

WILLIAM  E.  WOLFF,  M.  D. 
Arendtsville,  Pa. 

A.  N.  MACKEY,  M.  D. 
Aledo,  111. 

WM.  B.  SKINNER 
Counselor-at-Law 

Springfield,  Ohio. 


MORRIS  P.  FLICKINGER 

Dealer  in  Merchandise 

Bakersfield,  Cal. 

James  McGinley  Alexander 
Principal  of  High  School 

Kontz,  Ind. 

Samuel  Kirkpatrick,  M.  D. 
New  Cumberland,  Pa. 


DR.  JOHN  H.  DEVOR 


Chambersburg, 


Penna. 


BRUCE  M.  WOLFF,  D.  M.  D. 
1069  Boylston   Street,  Boston 

Telephone  Back  Bay  8685 

D.  O.  WOLFF,  Pharm.  D. 
278   Dartmouth   Street, 

Boston,  Mass. 


This  is  a  F 
If  not  she  sho 


I     l,.„„l.,.|..,;.        [\ 


Dr.  H.  M.  Kirkpatrick 

Dentist 

132  Walnut  St.,  Harrisburg,  Pa. 


A.  O.  PYLE 
Real  Estate 

Highland  Bldg.,  Pittsburgh,  Pa. 


E.   Newton    Kirkpatrick 

Real  Estate  and  Peninsular 
Pipeless  Furnaces. 

New  Cumberland,  Pa. 


E.   PAUL   BURK 
Dentist 

Salina,    Kansas 


J.   H.   KIRKPATRICK 

501   Telegraph   Building 

Harrisburg,    Pa. 

Wm.  Burke  Kirkpatrick,  M.  D. 
Highspire,   Pa. 


IRVIN  C.  ELDER 
Attorney-at-Law 

Lincoln  Way  East, 

Chambersburg,   Pa. 

DENTON  STARK 

Counselor-at-Law 

San  Francisco,  Cal. 


WM.  STECK 

DEALER   IN 

Dry  Goods,  Notions,  Clothing,   Carpets, 
Shoes,  Groceries 

Measure  taken  for  Made  to  Order  Clothing 

WILLOW  HILL,  PA. 


A.  A.  FLICKINGER 

DEALER  IN 

Dry    Goods,    Notions,    Hats,    Caps   and 
Groceries 

WALL    PAPER    AND    WINDOW    SHADES 

WILLOW  HILL,  PA. 


• 


102  ADVERTISEMENTS 

M.  M.    UMBRELL 

DEALER  IN 

Groceries,  Dry  Goods, 

Notions  and  Shoes 

DRY  RUN,        -        -       PA. 

J.  H.  CLYMAN'S 

Dry  Goods ,  Groceries, 

Confections,  Hardware, 

Footwear  and  Tobacco 

Spring  Run,        -  Pa. 

"  The  Sweetest  Place  in   Town'1'' 

R.  O.  DUNKLE 

RESTAURANT 

Candy,   Ice  Cream,   Sodas,  Sundaes,    Tobacco 
Stoves  and  Ranges 

Dry  Run,  Pa. 


J.  F.  BRINLEY 

DRY  RUN,   PENNA. 

We  carry  a  Complete  Line  of — 

Dry  Goods,  Notions,  Clothing,  Carpets,  Shoes, 
Groceries,    Wall    Paper    and    Window    Shades 

Q  VALITY—PRI CE—  SER  VICE 


ADVERTISEMENTS  103 

McCURDY  &  CO. 

General  Merchandise 


FANNETTSBURG,  PA. 


Dry  Goods,  Notions,  Shoes, 

Clothing,  Groceries,  Stationery 

Also  a  Full  Line  of— 

Team  and  Buggy  Harness,   Bridles,  Horse 
Collars,  Whips,  Fly  Nets,  Blankets,  Etc. 

Compliments    of 

IV.  IV.  WINEMAN 

DEALER  IN 

GENERAL 
MERCHANDISE 

Fannettsburg,         -  -  Pennsylvania 


104  ADVERTISEMENTS 

P.    NICHLAS'    SONS 

Great  Home  Furnishing  Store.  Always  showing  the 
latest  and  best  products  of  the  foremost  manufacturers  of  the 
United  States. 

RUGS     -     CARPETS     -     FURNITURE    -     LINOLEUM 
P.     NICKLAS'     SONS 

"The  House  of  Year  Around  Low  Price.  " 

The  Store  of  Quality  Hardware ! 

Robes,  Blankets,  Auto  and    Buggy  Sizes 

Horse   Blankets   of  all   kinds,   Guns  and 
Ammunition  of  the  Best  Makes 

The  Greatest   American 
--Toy  Builder,   Erector-- 

Just  The  Thing  For  Your   Boy   For  Christmas 

Buy  your  Tools  and  Hardware  here  and 
save  M.oney--and  Temper 

The  ZUG  HARDWARE  CO. 

North  Main  Street  CHAMBERSBURG,  PA. 


M.  B.  MUMPER 

PHOTOGRAPHER 


Successor  to 
A.  L.  Rogers 


49  South  Main  Street, 
Chambersburg,  -:-  Pennsylvania 


ADVERTISEMENTS  105 


DRUGS  of  QUALITY 

Soda,   Candy,    Cigars,     Toilet 
Articles  and  Patent  Medicines 
of  all  kinds. 

IV e  invite  your  mail  orders  as 

they  are  always  given  prompt 

and  careful  attention, 

WALKER'S   DRUG  STORE 

CHAMBERSBURG,     PA. 


Vanderau's  Restaurant 

41    North    Main    Street 
Chambersburg,  Pa. 

\"0U   will   always   be   pleased   with    the   well   prepared 
food,  served  in  home-like  fashion  at  this  restaurant 

Light  Lunch  Regular  Meals 

OPEN  DAY  AND  NIGHT 


WE    WANT    YOU! 

WE  NEED  YOUR  PATRONAGE 

WE   NEED   YOUR  MONEY 

YOU  NEED  OUR  MERCHANDISE 

See  if  we  can't  make  a  deal  that  will  be  satisfactory  to  both  of  us. 
THE     BIG     STORE 

BANKS  BROS.,         -        CHAMBERSBURG,  PA. 


106  ADVERTISEMENTS 


R.  Z.  KEGERREIS 

Funeral  Director 
FANNETTSBURG 


W.  M.  ALEXANDER 

DEALER  IN 

Notions,  Dry  Goods,  Clothing, 
Hats  and  Caps,  Shoes,  Carpets, 
and  Rugs,  Groceries,  Queens- 
ware,  Hardware. 

DRY  RUN,  PA. 


ADVERTISEMENTS  107 


USE 

ME  T  Z ,  S 

FAMILY  MEDICINES 

and 

EXTRACTS 


108  ADVERTISEMENTS 

DRY  RUN  PLANING  MILLS 

R.   H.   PIPER 

Manufacturer  of  all  kinds  of 

Flooring,    Siding    and    Inside     Finish 
Undertaker  and  Embalmer 

DRY   RUN,  PA. 

We  hope  the   Section  in  which  this  advertisement 

circulates  will  continue  the  liberal  patronage 

with    which    it    has    long    favored    us 

OUR  STOCK  IS  LARGE 

and  constituted  of 

First  Grade  Merchandise 

Including  all  Varieties  of  Dress   Fabrics 

Fancy  and  Staple  Dry  Goods 

Ladies  Coats,  Suits,  Underwear  and  Notions 

HOKE  &  E  YSTER 

CHJMBERSBURG,  PA. 
"No  fit,  No  pay" ---Is  the  Gilbert  way 

GEO.  E.  GILBERT 

Up  to-date  Clothier,  Hatter  and   Furnisher 

58  North  Main  St.     Next  Door  National  Hotel 
CHAMBERSBURG,  PA. 


\D\  ERT1SEMENTS 


109 


JEWELER  LUDWIG 

OF 
CHAMBERSBURG,  PA. 

Was  not  one  of  the  Early  Settlers  of  Path  V alley  — 
He  just  dropped  down  in  Chambersburg  some 
years  ago.  He  has  the  pleasure  of  knowing 
personally  many  of  the  good  substantial  citizens 
of  Path  J'alley.  He  sends  greetings  to  the  living 
and  retains  pleasant  memories  of  the  departed. 


W.  0.  SHOEMAKER 

DEALER  IN 

General  Line  of  Hardware 


AUTOMOBILES 
and    SUPPLIES 


Main  Street 
Dry  Run,        -        Penn'a. 


J.  C.  WITHEROW 

Dealer  in 

Dry  Goods,  Groceries,  Notions,  Hats,  Caps, 
Boots,  Shoes,  Hardware,  Etc. 

SPRING  RUN,   PA. 


110  ADVERTISEMENTS 

When  you  are  in  Chambersburg — 
VISIT  OUR  STORE 

You  will  find  a  Complete  Line  of 

Clothing,  Shoes,  Hats,  Caps,  and 
Gents'  Furnishings 

"AT  REASONABLE  PRICES" 

SOCKS  BROS. 

OPPOSITE   NATIONAL  HOTEL 
Chambersburg,  Pa. 


The  Register 

County   Newspaper 
CHAMBERSBURG 


ADVERTISEMENTS  111 

CHAS.  E.  HEINTZELMAN 

SHOES     OF    QUALITY 

26  S.  Main  Street, 
CHAMBERSBURG,  -  -  PENNA. 

BOTH  TELEPHONES 

Dependable  Merchandise 

B.  B.  Holler 

Cash  Dry  Goods  and  Notions 

55  N.  Main  Street, 
Chambersburg,  -  -  Penna. 

Dr.  S.  S.  RODGERS 

Veterinarian  Surgeon 
SPRING   RUN,  PA. 

Good   Horses  and  Auto  ready  at  all  times 

TELEPHONE 

C.    A.    LAUGHLIN 

Photographer  -  Shippensburg,  Pa. 

JOHN    D.    SCHAAL   &    CO. 
AUTOMOBILE  GARAGE 

AND  MACHINE  SHOP— 

Chambersburg,  -  Pa. 


112 


ADVERTISEMENTS 


The  Widen  Memorial  in  Wood  I  awn  Cemetery,  New  York,  is  noted  for  the  simple  purity 
of  its  design .  The  strong,  unostentatious  character  of  this  monument  is  intended  to  convey 
the  spirit  of  the  man  to  whose  memory  it  was  erected. 

In  modern  memorial  work  it  is  possible  to  reflect  the  virtues  of  the 
departed  in  the  arrangement  of  the  grave  adornment.  If  you  consult  us  and 
allow  us  to  carry  out  your  suggestions  in  such  matters,  you  will  feel  gratified 
that  you  selected  this  firm.  Our  ambition  is  to  give  satisfaction.  Talk 
over  your  monument  plans  with  us. 

Forbes  Granite  Co. 

Opp.  Cedar  Grove  Cemetery 

HOOD  ST.  CHAMBERSBURG,  PA. 


ADVERTISEMENTS  113 


MORE  THAN 
EVER  BEFORE 

This  Fall  and  Winter  we  want  to 
sell  you  your  Clothing,  Shoes,  Hats 
and  Furnishings.  More  than  in 
former  years  are  we  able  to  serve 
the  interests  of  our  Friends  and 
Patrons.  This  time  of  high  and 
advancing  prices  offers  every  in- 
ducement to  substitution  of  inferior 
goods.  We  can  maintain  our  long 
established  reputation  only  by  selling 

Reliable  Honest  Goods 

and  all  goods  for  just  what  they  are 
Our    large    and   early    buying   has 
placed  in  our  store  many  goods  that 
we  are  selling  at  less  than  we  can 
buy   them    today.       As     long  as 
they   last  our  customers  shall  have 
the  benefit.         ..... 

We  cordially  invite  you  to  visit  our  store 

J.  W.  REARICK  &  CO. 

CHAMBERSBURG,     PENNA. 


114  ADVERTISEMENTS 

Cumberland  Valley  State  Normal  School 

SHIPPENSBURG,  PA. 

Winter  Term  of  13  Weeks  Opens  January  10,  1917 

Spring  Term  of  13  Weeks  Opens  April  3,  1917 

<$><»#■<$><$>#> 

NO  INCREASE  IN  RATES 

<S>#  <i>  #>  <#  <$> 

FREE  TUITION 

to  Students   17  or  more  years  of  age  who   expect   to    teach. 

BOARDING 

including  furnished  room  with  light,  heat  and  laundry,  four 
dollars  per  week. 

Special  classes  will  be  organized  in  the  Spring  Term  for  students  who 
wish  to  prepare  for  teaching,  and  for  teachers  who  wish  to  secure  a  higher 
grade  provisional  certificate,  a  professional  or  a  permanent  certificate. 
Special  classes  will  also  be  organized  for  pupils  who  enter  from  the  public 
schools.  A  regular  Commercial  Course  is  also  offered  at  a  very  moderate 
rate. 

During  the  past  three  years  the  Cumberland  Valley  State  Normal 
School  has  more  than  doubled  its  attendance.  Its  present  enrollment  is  the 
largest  in  its  history.  The  school  aims  to  prepare  young  men  and  women 
not  only  for  successful  teaching,  but  to  give  them  such  training  as  will  be 
helpful  in  any  occupation  or  vocation. 

<$><§>#<$><#>#• 

Shippensburg  Is  An   Ideal   School   Town,  41    Miles  South  of 

Harrisburg.     No  Saloons;  Twelve  Churches. 

<§>  <&  <§>  <$>  <$>  <§> 

A  summer  session  of  six  weeks  will  begin  July  3,  1917 

For  catalogue  and  other  information,  write  to 

EZRA  LEHMAN,    Principal 


B 


ADVERTISEMENTS  115 


"SHULL'S    SERVICE" 


H 


AS  TO    DO    WITH    EVERYTHING 

that  accommodates  our  customers. 
Whether  your  purchase  is  a  prescription, 
toilet  articles,  soda  water  or  postage  stamp, 
you  will  be  accorded  the  same  courtesy,  the 
same  prompt  service.  1$  If  you  have  not 
already,  begin  now  to  enjoy  the  absolute 
satisfaction  Shull's  customers  enjoy 


SHULL'S  MODERN  DRUG  STORE 

OPPOSITE  POST  OFFICE 

CHAMBERSBURG.         -         PA. 


TEELS 


SHIPPENSBURG,    PA. 

Quality  our  first  consideration -- 

Price,  always  as  low  as  is  consistent 
for  good  merchandise 

Assortments — Large  and  Varied 

L.  P.  TEEL 


116 


ADVERTISEMENTS 


Surround  Your  Children 
with  the  Refining  Influence 

-OF  MUSIC 

A  FINE  PIANO-or 
PLAYER-PIANO 

OR  A 

GRAFONOLA 

Will  Help  To  Keep  Your 
Boy  and  Your  Girl  Under 
Your  Own  Roof     - 

ANY  INSTRUMENT  SENT 
ANYWHERE  ON  APPROVAL 

Write  or  Phone  Your 
Musical  Needs — 

Catalogues  Sent  on  Request 


We  Carry  at  all  times  A  Complete 
Line  of  Fine  Violins,  Mandolins, 
Music-Rolls,  Music-Stands,  Music 
Books,  Sheet  Music,  McKinley 
Ed.  of  ioct.  Standards,  Etc. 

COLUMBIA  RECORDS 


DUFFIELD 

Music  House-127  S.  Main  St. 
CHAMBERSBURG,  PA. 


ADVERTISEMENTS 


117 


OUR    NEW    HOME 

We 

Valley  National  Bank 

"A   STRONG   BANK" 

Capital        -  $100,000.00 

Individual  liability  -                       100,000.00 

Surplus  (earned)  -                         300,000.00 

Total  assets  over  -         -        1,900,000.00 

Three  (3)  per  cent,  paid  on  savings,  compounded  twice 
each  year 

Rent  a  box  in  our  vault  and  feel  secure  from  fire  and  thieves 
UNITED  STATES  DEPOSITORY 


GEO.  H.  STEWART, 

President 


FRED  B.  REED, 

Cashier 


DIRECTORS: 

GEORGE  H.  STEWART  M.  C.  KENNEDY 

JNO.  R.  ORR  C.  PRICE  SPEER 

J.  R.  RUTHRAUFF  C.  A.  RAFF 

A.  L.  SHERK  IRVIN  C.  ELDER 
C.  M.  DAVISON 


118  ADVERTISEMENTS 

CHAMBERSBURG  TRUST  COMPANY 

CHAMBERSBURG,  PA. 


DIRECTORS: 

WILLIAM  ALEXANDER  R.  B.  NELSON 

M.  K.  BURGNER  W.  T.  OMWAKE 

JOHN  C.  GERBIG  A.  NEVIN  POMEROY 

S.  G.  GREENAWALT  D.  EDW.  LONG 

S.  A.  HUBER  W.  H.  SHANK 

W.  C.  HULL  HARRY  SIERER 

D.  N.  MINICK  E.  M.  SMITH 

H.  B.  McNULTY  J.  A.  STRITE 

T.  M.  NELSON  GEO.  H.  WOLFINGER 

CAPITAL  (full  paid)  $200,000.00 

SURPLUS  AND  PROFIT  £245,000.00 
TRUST  FUNDS  -  260,311.71 

Solicits  the  patronage  of  Farmers,  Merchants  and 
Individual   Depositors 

3  PER  CENT.  INTEREST  PAID  ON  TIME  DEPOSITS 


"IT  PAYS!" 

Yes,  it  pays  to  patronize  the  right  store,  SKINNER'S 
DRUG  STORE,  where  your  small  purchases  are  given  the 
same  careful  attention  accorded  the  larger  ones. 

Where  the  prices  are  always  reasonable  and  the  quality 
of  the  goods  the  SKINNER  standard,  which  means  the  best 
the  markets  afford. 

Where  the  "  sunshiny "  disposition  of  the  know-their- 
business  clerks  pervades  the  whole  establishment. 

Where  your  children  will  be  waited  on  as  kindly  and 
carefully  as  if  you  were  standing  by,  watching  the  transaction. 

Where  your  telephone  or  mail  orders  are  handled  with 
celerity  (prompt  filling,)  accuracy  (just  as  you  ordered  it,) 
and  dispatch   (immediate  delivery  to  you.) 

It  pays  others  to  trade  at  this  drug  store,  we  will  make 
it  pay  you,  if  you  will  but  give  us  the  opportunity. 

SKINNER'S  DRUG  STORE, 

Memorial  Square  Chambersburg,  Pa. 


ADVERTISEMENTS 


119 


W .  M.  Alexander,  Pres.  J .  C.  Robertson,   Vice-Pres. 

D.  0.  Shearer,  Cashier 

Path  Valley  Bank 

Established   1908  Incorporated   1916 


Capital         - 

Surplus  &  Undivided  Profits 


#25.000 
#12.225 

THREE  PER  CENT.  INTEREST  ON  TIME  DEPOSITS 


YOUR  PATRONAGE  SOLICITED 

DIRECTORS 

W .   M.   Alexander,  Dry  Run  J.   F.   Burk,  Dry  Run 

J .   F.   Brinley,  Dry  Run  Clinton  Skinner,  Dry  Run 

W.   J.   Zeigler,  Doylesburg  J.   C.   Robertson,  Concord 

J  as.    W.   McCurdy,  Willow  Hill      S.  G.  Vanscyoc,  Amber  son 
John  C.    Witherow  Spring  Run 


120  ADVERTISEMENTS 

THE  CITIZENS 

National  Bank  of  Dry  Run,  Penna. 

Capital         -  $25,000 

Surplus  and  Undivided  Profits      -       7,000 

3    per  cent,  paid  on  savings,  compounded 
twice  each  year. 

/.  H.  CLYMANS,  Pres.  J.  F.  WALKER,   V.  Pres. 

J.  M.  HAZLETT,  Cashier 

DIRECTORS : 

J.   H.   Clymans         J.  F.   Walker         W.  F.   Simonton 

A.   M.   Welker,         S.  D.   Peterson         B.  F.  Shope 

L.  B.  Hammond         P.  E.   Steck         Oscar  H.  Little 

Ira   W.   Wilson         and         L.  M.  Hammond 

We    Invite   You    to    Open   An    Account    With    Us 


YOUR 

BANKING 
HOUSE 


ORGANIZED  1906 

We  solicit  the  accounts  of  corporations,  firms  and  individuals,  and  guarantee 

to  give  our  patrons  the  best  service  with  the  most  courteous  treatment. 

We  pay  3  per  cent  interest  compounded  every  six  months  on  money  deposited 

in  our  Savings  Department. 

BANKING  BY  MAIL 

Send  your  money  for  deposit  to  us  by  mail  and  you  will  see  how  easy  and 
satisfactory  it  is  to  do  your  banking  business  with  us  by  this  method. 

MAKE  OUR  BANK  YOUR  BANK 
Farmers'  and    Merchants'  Trust   Company 

Chambersburg,     Penna. 

CAPITAL  and  SURPLUS  over        ...        -  $   290,000.00 

RESOURCES  over 1,400,000.00 

WALTER  K.  SHARPE,  President  D.  L.  GROVE,  Treasurer 


ADVERTISEMENTS  121 


Fannettsburg  National  Bank 

(Successors  to  Peoples'  Bank) 


FANNETTSBURG,    PA. 


Incorporated  Sept  1st,  1916 


G.  H.  BARTLE  R.  W.  McALLEN 

Pres.  Vice-Pres. 

S.  E.  WALKER 

Cashier 

DIRECTORS: 

J.  B.  WINEMAN  J.  C.  McGOWAN 

J.  H.  McCURDY  T.  J.  ADAMS 

J.  A.  SHEARER  T.  B.  APPLEBY 

SAMUEL  REESE  C.  L.  WALKER 

A.  M.  WELKER  R.  W.  McALLEN 

S.  E.  WALKER  G.  H.  BARTLE 


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